Menu

Why Apps will Jump-Start “Friend-of-Mine” Marketing

You may know that over 1 million apps are downloadable on an iPhone. But did you know why businesses are counting on these apps to reshape their marketing?

Just at the point where you may feel comfortable sporting your inbound marketing badge, you may want to research this new generation of Friend-of-Mine marketing.

As explained well in Jay Baer’s book Youtility, smart marketers are finding clever ways to befriend consumers addicted to “self-help” apps while reinforcing their brand image in the process.

From “Top-of-Mind” to “Frame-of-Mind” to “Friend of-Mine”

Let’s first rewind. For years, marketers counted on Top-of-Mind awareness to reach audiences. So after constantly hearing AFLAC!, AFLAC!, we would remember them if and when we become a prospect. This assumes a great deal of consistency, channel breadth and cash.

But along came search engines and social content marketing. This shifted “Top-of-Mind” to “Frame-of Mind” awareness. The goal here is to align your problem solving content (e.g., webinars, eBooks, blogs, etc.) with targeted audiences precisely when and where they are in their buying cycle. This inbound marketing approach is less intrusive than Top-of-Mind and is based on the generous giving of helpful content.

Enter the “App” Generation

Big brands see the move toward mobile apps as a way to engage in Friend-of-Mine marketing. The concept works like this. Charmin’s “Sit or Squat” app allows you to download a map of rated restrooms in your area.

Why would they do this? Hopefully, you will associate Charmin’s brand with helpfulness while inviting them into your circle of friends. Okay, that might be a stretch. But imagine seeing only this brand name at the time of need.

The Geek Squad is often questioned why their self-help electronic repair videos don’t jeopardize their own repairs. Instead, they find the typical overextended gadget fixer searching for a bail-out. Upon witnessing the Geek Squad’s expertise, they make the call. This “Let me Help” form of marketing” is not employed as a sales tactic but as a way for the Geek Squad to become a friend. But in the process of helping, they undoubtedly generate new demand.

A widely downloaded app for stain removals is sponsored by Clorox. Although much of their researched advice goes well beyond the scope of their offerings, they can actually stimulate new demand as users consider new possibilities for stain removal. Similarly, Ortho has an app that will help you identify and treat harmful weeds in real-time. Whose weed killer and fertilizer are you going to remember?

Friend-of-Mine Marketing Offers Entrepreneurial Advantages

Small businesses are also capitalizing on low cost app development to offset the high costs of top of mind advertising. Consider how Columbia Gear has an app to explain the various knots to tie when engaged in outdoor excursions. Rather than sporting ads for their outdoor clothing, they are banking on your befriending them at a time when you might consider their products.

125 thoughts on “Why Apps will Jump-Start “Friend-of-Mine” Marketing”

People always want their property to look beautiful. Most people do not like to pay large sums of money to have a beautiful lawn. Some people just enjoy the feeling of doing the work for themselves. Unfortunately, unless you grew up working in landscaping the average person does not know how to create and maintain a perfect lawn. For those people the perfect app exists, My Scotts Lawn App. The app targets all people who want nice lawns and are typical “do-it-yourself” people. These could be young adults who are first time home owners or even recent retirees who want to spend time outside making their property look beautiful.

The app gives help based on many different factors, making it easy for all of the users to get not only advice, but the best advice for them specifically. Scotts provides tailor-made advice to the users based on the location of the user, specific plants the user might want, and the specific problems the users may be facing. The app provides a phone number to reach experts with questions or concerns for emergency situations. It also provides a great tool allowing people to send pictures in; it is mainly used to help identify weeds and other threats to a perfect lawn.

Another “Friend-of-Mine” app I use all the time is WineRatings+. This app is managed by Wine Spectator and is free to download giving users both free and paid content. The app is designed for wine enthusiasts, as well as non-experts who are trying to find a good bottle of wine for any specific reason. This app provides users vintage charts, educational articles, videos, and daily news at no cost. WineRatings# automatically updates with the latest reviews by Wine Spectator and each review is written by a Wine Spectator editor to ensure reliability.

This app provides real time value in multiple different ways. Firstly they provide wine ratings which allow the users to know what they are getting and if the price is right. They also provide charts showing how different types of wine are similar or different, and how to match wines with food. These a great tool for people planning a dinner party. The WS App also provides expert picks and a very useful map/guide to wine hubs like Napa Valley.

I believe this app will have traction and wide-spread appeal because people love wine. Most younger professionals are just learning about wine and most people in that category do not like to ask for help. Now they can appear to be a wine expert without their guests knowing that they are an amateur.

The app caters to its intended market very well. Since it provides paid and unpaid options users can get exactly what they need. The expert picks are usually very good and the ratings and reviews are very accurate.

Clorox’s Mystain is an app released by Clorox in 2010 that provides a wide content of information about stain removal. Basically they answer the question of how to remove a stain, depending on the materials and the substance that cause it. This is a brilliant idea because their product fill this necessity (stain removal products) and with this app, the company is offering a way for consumers to find a specific stain solution by themselves, by providing this information they are getting closer to the consumers that demand this solutions. Users of this app can find quickly a stain removal solution by browsing stains alphabetically. Also users can “take a spin” to get access to specific stain situations and to more serious information about how to remove stains. This creates a bond with the consumers because they can actually share some funny or particular stain related situations with others through the app and at the same time obtain valuable information from it. Therefore, when consumers need to buy a stain removal they will obviously choose the one they feel they have a bond with.

The market for this App is mainly mothers, because they are the ones that are more often dealing with stains. Children, food and kitchen are directly related to stains, so for moms this app is very useful because it provides them all the information they need in order to remove the stains and keep everything clean without damaging anything on the house. Furthermore, moms are always worried about the safety of their families, and these days they want to know also what ingredients they are using to clean the spaces their families lives in; this app offers this information, allowing the moms being more confident about using what they consider to be appropriate and safe.

The app I feel addresses “friend-of-mine” marketing is Google Map. This app is providing real time value by offering to users accurate information about how to get to a specific place, it also provides important information such as time, distance, real time traffic and allows you to choose different routes to get to your destination. I believe this app has real traction and widespread appeal because google is known as the best and more famous search engine available online. You can search any place near you and locate any address accurately, how to get there by car, public transportation or by walking. This is very appealing because is very helpful and convenient. You only need your phone and a data plan.
The target for this App is everybody. Any person that is on a city doesn’t know too well, or wants to get to a place quickly, or want to know how far is the distance between two points, just by simply having a phone and this app can find it out. It cater very well to its target because it is available to everyone who has a phone, a computer or a tablet, with apple or android systems, and it is very accurate, precise and wide in information. It fulfill effectively this necessity.

Ex: Fandango: is the easiest, fastest way to see what movie is currently showing, it rates the movies for you and tells you what movie theater is closes to you. Fandango has been made into the go-to destination. There are more than 30 million moviegoers each month. Fandango helps movie fans discover, buy tickets and share their passion for movies in a more engaging and interactive way. If you are a movie fan this is a must have app Fandango entertains, informs and guides film fans with must-see trailers and movie clips, exclusive and original content, insider news and expert commentary. They make it easy to find and buy the right movie at the right time, with show times and ticketing to more than 23,000 screens nationwide. Fandango has an award-winning mobile and connected television apps with over 40 million downloads and counting. They are connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google+ and Pinterest. They are partnered with every single movie theater out there, it is the new way to stay connected with the movies you want to see. Because think about, who really goes to the movies and then looks at the movie times? If so why do that? Fandango has you covered. Is this app considered a Friend-of-Mine if you are a movie fan like myself most definitely best friends.
Ex: Shazam: connects more than 420 million people, every month another 15 million people embrace Shazam. This app is available on all major app stores, and it is in 200 countries and 33 languages, to the music, TV shows and ads they love. It is a necessity because sometimes you hear a song and whether it is the first time you hear it or you’ve listen to it before and don’t remember the name this app tells you everything about it. If you decide to purchase it iTunes is just a chick away.

As I searched through my phone to select an app to critique, I quickly realized that most companies don’t always show that they are sponsoring the app until you open it and see the company logo. So I had to do some research by typing in “Company Sponsored Apps” into Google. Top of the list was an app that was sponsored by Adidas. Then I remembered I had an app called “miCoach”. This app tracks your workout history, achievements, and even tracks a list of shoes to keep tabs on its condition by tracking the distance they accumulate. How cool is that? miCoach definitely has a high relevancy to Adidas’ brand and marketing. This self-help mobile app is attempting to fill a need for people who want to evaluate their goals and achievements. People want to have a sense that they’re progressing towards something and miCoach helps track your personal fitness goals. Adidas is attempting to make this app a part of your fitness lifestyle. Their markets would coincide with the market for individuals who value working out and leading healthy fit lifestyles. This app however doesn’t target their more urban, hip, and fashionable side. Therefore, they created an app called “Urban Art Guide of Berlin”. It’s far from the fitness lifestyle and more into the urban lifestyle market.

Another self-help app that addresses the “friend-of-mine” marketing that I don’t see included in the blog or guest comments is called “ColorSmart”. This app helps customers select a paint color for their homes. Can you guess who sponsors it? By a top paint processing company called Behr. It allows users to match a color that they like. For example, if they see a room or object with a color they like, the app will scan it and find a matching Behr paint color. This app provides real-time value because it makes finding a paint color fun and easy. And it pushes customers to purchase Behr paint products by matching a color to a Behr paint color. This app has real traction as it is easy to use and the brand is widely recognized. This app has some limited functionality such as not being able to take a photo of a room and painting it with a Behr paint color. Users would be able to get a real-time look at how the color looks in their own homes. Choosing a paint color can be a daunting task, as you never know what color suits your home and furnishings. Behr attempts to alleviate that pain point by helping consumers select a color and of course it’s a Behr paint color.

This app helps consumers both on-the-go and at home with valuable stain removal solutions. This way, Clorox is showing their consumers that it cares enough about maintaining their clothes in perfect condition, and that the brand is always there to help them.
MyStain offers a wide directory of stain removal tips in alphabetical order. The user selects the stain he/she needs to remove and the app will give them two solutions. The first solution is “On the go”, in which the user just needs easy access materials, such as water, hand-sanitizer or regular bar soap. The second solution is “At home” in which the user can find the steps to get rid of the stains with detergent, dish soap, bleach, and other products that can be found at home.
Consumers have the option to provide feedback on how effective the tips are. They can also share these stain removal solutions with their friends for a word of mouth effect, and promote the app as a “self-help app” that will always be there for them.
This app targets moms who are always trying to find the most effective ways to remove stains, but it is also helpful to all people, no matter the age or gender. We are all exposed to stains and would hate to throw clothes away for this reason.

Nike Training Club

Nike Training Club is another self-help app that users can use anywhere at any time. They have access to 15-45 workout sessions that include exercises for every muscle of the body. They can select the level of difficulty: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
This app was designed specifically for women. “It embodies Nike’s commitment to inspire and enable female athletes through its products, services and experiences.” (nikeinc.com)
Ladies or any individuals that decide to use this app, can use it at home, at the gym or wherever they feel comfortable to work out. The routines provided are narrated by well-known female instructors and if the users don’t understand what the narrator said, they can always click to see a video demonstration of that specific exercise. These exercises are performed by women of course!
They can also track their progress and get rewarded for their effort with custom workouts created by sports celebrities.
With Nike Training Club, Nike is helping athletes (how they call every individual that has a body) to meet their goals of getting lean, toned or strong. This way they are effectively using the “friend of mine” strategy. The users of this app will feel that Nike helps them to feel motivated and that the brand is part of their progress.
Nike made this app available in different languages and hired instructors from different nationalities in order to have a higher reach of athletes around the world.
The company created a Twitter account called “Nike Training Club” to share the new app videos and features. They also post tips and quotes to keep their users motivated and therefore have them share the info with their friends and followers.

Charmin Sit or Squat
I chose the Charmin Sit or Squat App. This app is perfect for everyone. Most people spend more time away from home than they do at home on a daily basis. Therefore, the chances of having to use a public restroom at some point during the day is fairly high. Whether running errands around the city or taking a long road trip, everyone is always concerned with the cleanliness of the bathrooms they encounter along the way. This app is almost like a “Yelp” for restrooms. Users can write about personal experiences and warn others if conditions are not great. Further, this app can be used in selecting a restaurant. Many people attribute the cleanliness of the restroom with the safety of the food being served. So, if you search for the restaurant on this app and see that it recommends “squat” you will know to choose another location.

Nike+Running App
This app is especially popular around the holiday season (New Years) when people are making resolutions. Of course, the most popular resolution is to get in shape/lose weight. Nike developed the Nike+ Running App to help people achieve their fitness goals. The app is paired with a chip that is placed in the sole of your Nike Running shoes and helps you track your progress, distance, speed, calories, etc. The information is then sent to Nike.com and tracked in your personal online account. This works in Nike’s favor because in order to use the app properly, you must have a pair of Nike shoes. Nike shoes have a certain notch cut into the sole of their shoes designed to fit the transmitter chip for the app. Therefore, basically guaranteeing a boost in the sale of their shoes from those who wish to use the app.

Expedia/Mobile Travel Apps
Another Self-Help app that is very popular is the Expedia App. Expedia and all of the other online travel websites have begun making their services available through phone applications. This allows consumers to quickly book travel without having to be logged into a computer or having to pull up the mobile site on their phone internet or having to make a phone call to a travel agent. The app allows quick access and easy usage. I am a personal fan of these apps for that very reason. This convenience is great for young mobile professionals.

1. Clorox’s MyStain appears to be marketing to mainly moms who are most likely to be the people who go shopping for these products. Clorox’s marketing revolves around making mom’s lives easier by providing them with this ‘self-help’ app. This app was created to help the user identify a stain and figure out a way to get rid of it by using Clorox’s products. This app provides users with a fun way to approach a serious situation such as removing a stain from a specific clothing item. By Clorox creating this game-like app, users now get the “friend-of-mine” feeling, and will continue to purchase Clorox products over other stain removing brands due to the tips given from this simple app. Although many users complain about there not being enough stains to chose from, I believe Clorox can easily continue to grow this list of stains in order to reach out to more users.

2. One of the apps I feel addresses “friend-of-mine” the most for me is “Lose It!”. For years I have struggled to get myself and my clients to purchase a journal and manually write down all of the meals they ate throughout the day, plus counting calories, protein, carbs, and fats by looking at the nutrition facts and doing the math ourselves. This process took a lot of time and became more of an inconvenience for all of us. This app now allows me to scan or search for a specific item, easily select the serving size, and instantly gives me a summary by the end of the day. This app is very easy to use, and my clients (ranging from 16 years old to 50 years old) feel it is simple and basic enough to understand and utilize. This app is a simplified version of “My Fitness Pal” (MFP), another calorie counter app. MFP has many more features, but for the average person, it can be overwhelming, as opposed to “Lose it!”. Lose it! does an excellent job at allowing me to use it anywhere by simply scanning the food label located on the boxed item or even search for a restaurant and see the list of food items and calorie content. For the health conscience person, this app is catered very well, but more food items could be added to make searching easier.

1. When selecting a mobile app to write about for this blog post, so many came to mind that deciding which to choose was difficult. I chose to discuss the Whole Foods app, which not only gives you the ability to find, call, and shop at any of their locations across the world; but it also gives consumers the ability to browse recipes and create shoppings lists based upon what they chose to cook.
a. This app is attempting to fulfill the heart of the consumers. Since whole foods is relatively expensive compared to Publix and Winn-Dixie, Whole Foods is able to offer their consumers the opportunity to spend less time in the store and more time at home. The ability to create recipes and a shopping list with the click of a button makes the trip to Whole Foods over Publix worthwhile.
b. The market for the Whole Foods app is the health-concise busy parent. This app is giving consumers the ability to create shopping lists according to the dishes they choose to make throughout the week. This gives the consumers to ability to not only discover new and healthy recipes but it gives them a complete shopping list at their local Whole Foods so they don’t forget a single step.
2. Other self help apps that address friend of mine marketing are apps such as Smirnoff’s Mixer App. This app gives you the ability to create a plethora of drink choices by mixing them with Smirnoff products.
a. Smirnoff provides real time value to its consumers by giving customers recommendations on drinks to create with their favorite liquors in mind. You choose your liquor of preference and then Smirnoff gives you drink recipes, which are best, fit with what you chose.
b. This app has a widespread appeal because it is indirectly marketing their products to consumers by masking them with the consumer’s best interests in mind. By creating a product (the mix) that is attractive to the customers, in turn creating a want for Smirnoff products.
c. This app definitely caters well to its target audience because it is designed to attract the target market of those who are regular drinkers looking for something new to try. By creating a multitude of options for all consumers to choose from is what makes this app successful.

I would consider YELP a “friend-of-mine” marketing app. This is actually one of my favorite apps to use because you get to search for any business, whether it be a restaurant, nail salon, hardware store, hotel, etc., and see other people review them before you choose to go to that specific business. This app gives you a sense of community even though you may have never met any of the people who are reviewing these businesses. Sometimes you are in an area in which you are not familiar and are looking for a business, Yelp is certainly very helpful. Although I have seen many Yelpers rate harshly and go a bit overboard with their critiques, I always find it very useful to know other peoples experiences before I choose to go there.

Also, when searching a business that is found on Yelp, you can get directions to the business, call the business directly from the app, explore the menu if it’s a restaurant, click on a direct link to the website, and view their hours of operation. Yelp also lists some helpful information such as if the restaurant takes reservations, delivers, take-out, outdoor seating, what the ambience is, noise level, attire, good for groups, good for kids, good for “breakfast, lunch dinner, late-night”, good for dancing, accepts credit cards, parking, waiter service, if they have Wi-Fi, when the best days/ nights are to attend, if they have happy hour, smoking, wheelchair accessible, drive-thru, etc.

For example, while on a road trip recently we needed a room late at night, as our eyes would not allow us to drive any longer. We were in the middle of nowhere and Yelp not only helped us find hotels nearby but it also allowed me to filter my results by pet friendly, which is what I needed. I got to choose from many hotels with different ratings and I was very satisfied with the hotel Yelp helped me find and book. Some of the hotels that were listed had very bad reviews with even some people stating “very dirty” which helped me navigate through my results pretty quickly.

Yelp not only allows their “Yelpers” to look for reviews and rate businesses, but individuals can also create profiles and “friend” other Yelpers. There is also a feature, similar to what we have seen on Facebook that fizzled out, where you can “check in” to the businesses you visit. There is also an online forum called “talk” where Yelpers in your area talk about a variety of different topics and you can chime in as you please. Another charming feature Yelp has is if you are looking at a business’ profile on Yelp, it will also tell you if there is also a Groupon for that business that you can currently purchase. Using the “checking in” feature by Foursquare can sometimes help you “unlock” a coupon or free appetizer at a restaurant. With all the different feature this app has I would give it a 5 star rating!

Out of all of the apps you mentioned I really like the Geek Squad app. In today’s world where the majority of cellphone users own smart phones I think the Geek Squads Locked and Found feature of its mobile app is a welcomed security measure that many smart phone users will find useful. The Geek Squad app I feel is aiming to help smart phone users protect their phone and the information in it. With the price of smart phones being a high priced investment losing your phone or having it stolen could prove to be costly. Most of us sometimes set our phones down and forget them, or just leave them unattended which puts it at risk for being taken. Replacing the phone out of pocket could become rather expensive but with an app like Geek Squad’s Locked and Found, maybe not so much. The Locked and Found app allows users who have misplaced or had their phone stolen to lock it remotely so that the thief or person that found it cannot access their information in addition to locating the phone on a map for easy recovery. The app also is capable of wiping all user information from the phone in the event that the phone is not found. Aside from the Locked and Found feature the app also provides some diagnostic tools for help with your smart phone when it is not functioning properly. These apps can assist with correcting any minor issues and if not the app allows you to access the Geek Squad with just the touch of a button or direct you to their nearest location. This app is great for business executives and anyone that uses a smart phone since smart phones were built to make our lives easier, it contains so much vital information that if it were to fall into the wrong hands, having such information could prove to be a disaster.

Another app that I feel is a good example of “friend-of-mine” marketing is the American Red Cross mobile app. This app provides information that can help you in the time of an emergency or like finding shelter during a disaster. It walks you through first aid scenarios and allows you to dial 911 right from the app if all else fails. It gives you an opportunity to quiz yourself on what you have learned and also provides a toolkit that includes a flashlight and audible alarm. This app can be useful to many people as at one time or another we will find ourselves in an emergency, whether it is at work, at home or while at some other destination. When the time strikes to be prepared often times we are not and having an app like this could help to save yourself or someone you love. With the amount of stories in the news about natural disasters and other emergencies where help cannot get to you right away, this is the perfect app to have as it could save someone’s life. This app is perfect for those people that like to be prepared or for those that just want the security of knowing that they have help when it is most needed.

a. Technology has allowed people to do more things by themselves and the condition of the economy is forcing them to rethink what they value. Stores like Lowe’s are capitalizing on their marketability, increasing top of mind and frame of mind awareness, through the use of self-help applications while also increasing their friend of mine awareness in consumers. By creating videos for use by consumers, especially in the form of a self-help smartphone application, Lowe’s is able to ingrain the brand name, as well as, a helpful image, by showing consumers how the experts do it while also teaching them how to DIY (do-it-yourself). Further, the self-help app assists DIYers by showing them all of the products they will need to complete the task (i.e. fixing a toilet leak, putting down tile floors, build a deck or fence, etc.) and that all of them can easily be found in a Lowe’s store. The most effective aspect of this type of marketing is that Lowe’s is not intimidated by the competition, knowing that consumers can easily choose other home improvement stores to purchase products. Instead, they are more concerned with building a relationship with their customer (especially with their brand name) in order to accomplish Friend of Mine marketing and ultimately customer loyalty.

b. Lowe’s market is really anyone; although, initially Lowe’s marketing strategy was geared towards the empowered woman that was ready, willing and able to Do it HERself. Nevertheless, the application demonstrates that Lowe’s knows that whether someone is an apartment dweller, a home owner, or a home renter, or even if they live in a trailer, that anyone and everyone has an innate desire to have a comfortable atmosphere around them and that these, frequently, budget conscious consumers would like to do-it-themselves!
Side note: Lowe’s application has many other capabilities, I am just highlighting the videos and tutorials offered through the app.

2. Campbell’s Kitchen

c. Campbell’s Kitchen offers users an answer to the age old question, “What’s for dinner?” by offering them thousands of recipes (with step by step instructions) in a just-in-time fashion. Imagine its winter and a bit of a chill is in the air, you are standing on the soup aisle of your local grocery store because you have a desire for a homemade dinner to warm you (and your family) up. Well, Campbell’s Kitchen is there to help you to be imaginative by allowing you to look up recipes quickly by keyword, or by scanning the UPC symbol on any of their products for suggestions that include that product in the ingredients. Further, you can save the recipe in your recipe box, share the recipe with friends all while strolling thru the grocery store to collect all the necessary ingredients. Campbell’s Kitchen is an anytime, anywhere, go-to resource for the time starved, budget conscious, household chef that would like to be more creative in their kitchen without spending a lot of time.

d. The widespread appeal is in Campbell’s ability to feed the users creative spirit in real-time. Although there are lots of recipe websites, Campbell’s Kitchen offers the user a means for meal planning using specific products. For example, if I have a coupon for some Pace Picante Sauce, but I can’t think of what I can make that is creative and relatively quick, I can consult with my Campbell’s Kitchen application (or my Campbellskitchen.com account via the web) in order to find recipes that include this particular Campbell’s product. In order to effectively market this self-help application, Campbell’s must integrate their brands (including Pace, Pepperidge Farm, Prego, Swanson, and V8) in such a way that the consumer recognizes that they fall under the Campbell Soup brand. Though we all know that Campbell’s soup is mmm, mmmm, GOOD!, we don’t necessarily know that these other brands that Campbell’s has acquired are, indeed, a part of the Campbell Soup brand. As well, Campbell’s will need to heavily and cleverly market this smartphone app to increase awareness.

e. Given the negative reviews of the app, I don’t believe that the app is catering well to their target audience. It seems as though the app has several technical problems and that updates are not correcting issues nor ‘killing’ its bugs. Outside of the technical side, based on the reviews, it seems that users love the app and has made good use of the recipes. I personally, had no knowledge of this app, until I looked around my kitchen for brands and entered them into my app search engine. As well, I did not know that Campbell’s had so many other (acquired) brands under its umbrella. Campbell’s Soup has a lot to be desired in the area of friend of mine marketing.
Side Note: The Campbell’s Kitchen application has many more features than what I have listed; my emphasis is on the app’s ability to assist the time starved, budget conscious, creative consumer (meal planner) in their ability to be imaginative with what they have right in front of them or what they desire.

Self-help apps seem to be becoming more and more popular lately. The purpose of self-help apps is basically to help people to help themselves. Clorox’s MyStain app is an example of a self-help app. This is a smart marketing strategy that Clorox has come up with because people will associate the Clorox brand with stain removal. Clorox’s MyStain app attempts to fill the wants and needs of removing stains. The app does this by providing its users with different ways of removing different types of stains.

Clorox’s MyStain app’s market is women, more specifically they are marketing to mothers. The background picture on the home page of the app is a baby eating messy spaghetti, and this is once again a smart move by Clorox. Mothers can automatically relate when they see the picture on the app’s homepage. Not all users of the app are mothers but mothers are their target market. Other users include those that like to do things themselves instead of having to contact someone to do it for them. College students can be included in their markets as well. Students living away from home may have depended on their parents before whereas now the app is right at their fingertips.

Another “self-help” app that addresses “friend-of-mine” in my opinion is Hello Baby by Pampers brand. Hello Baby depicts “friend-of-mine” marketing because Pampers brand will be there for the user throughout their pregnancy. The app allows users to follow the development of their baby from week 4 up to birth. It provides users with information at every stage of pregnancy.

Hello Baby by Pampers brand provides real-time value with its pregnancy week by week calendar. The app also provides real-time value by allowing the users to view what the average baby would look like at different stages. Hello Baby is there every step of the way throughout the user’s pregnancy allowing them to personalize the details of their baby.

This app has widespread appeal because the brand is very well known. Also, during their pregnancies mothers tend to look for information that will help them throughout their pregnancy. What better way to receive information than from a real-time, self-help app that is also a trusted brand by mothers all around the world. The user is able to build a relationship and begin to trust the brand throughout this process. More than likely the users of this app will purchase Pampers brand products over similar brands because they would have went throughout their pregnancy befriending the Pampers brand app.

Hello Baby app by Pampers brand caters well to its intended target audience. Their target audience, of course, is expecting mothers. The app caters to them by answering most, if not all, questions that expecting mothers would have during the various stages of pregnancy. It’s an easy to use app that helps new mothers to stay calm during pregnancy by having a quick resource to lean on when questions pops into their mind.

Pampers Diapers has a “self help” app called Hello Baby. Hello Baby is a friend of mine marketing tool that targets pregnant women. It tracks the progress of your pregnancy week by week giving you updates on your baby each stage of the development. It shows you life size pictures of what a baby looks like in the womb and its metric measurements. The app has a womb translator function that allows you to hear what you may sound like to the baby. You can even share your pregnancy updates via email, Facebook and Twitter right from the app making it easy to keep your friends and family informed every step of the way. Pampers is putting their trusted brand name in the minds of their consumers before they even have the need to purchase diapers. As women use this Hello Baby app they begin to build a relationship with the brand name. When the baby arrives and women are faced with the decision of what brand diapers to buy, hopefully they will see Pampers and associate their 9-month journey with the Hello Baby app to their purchase. This app is an exciting informative way for pregnant women to learn about their pregnancy. I think it offers widespread appeal because not only do pregnant women use the app, but their partner has the opportunity to use it as well. This can open the door to the experience their pregnant partner is going through and also provide help along the way.

Cartwheel by Target

Target has a “self help” app called Cartwheel. Cartwheel provides an easy way for Target customers to browse daily coupons and deals. You can browse ahead of time or while you shop. There is no need to waste time searching for coupons, cutting or printing them out and then having to remember to bring them with you. It’s as easy as pulling out your smart phone at the register and having them scan the barcode from your phone, which holds all the great coupons and deals you selected. The app allows you to see what deals are trending, newest, expiring etc. You can even earn badges based on your shopping patterns and money saving techniques. An example of one of the badges is “Smart Saver! Woohoo! You’ve saved $10 using Cartwheel! You are one smart saver.” This makes you feel good about your spending habits at Target and can even reassure you of your purchases. This app has widespread appeal because in the end it provides an easy way for customers to save time and money. It provides real-time value because now customers are seeing items that they can save money on that originally they weren’t even thinking of purchasing. I think the app will push customers to purchase more then they actually came to the store for.

b. What are their markets?
Esurance Mobile App markets would be anywhere that Esurance offer insurance coverage

2. What other “self help” apps do you feel address “friend-of-mine” marketing that are not included in the blog or guest comments
Citibank Mobile Banking App

c. How does the app providing real-time value?
The Citibank Mobile Banking App provides Citibank customers real time account info. Via the Citibank Mobile App, you can link all of your Citibank relationships and access everything from one convenient platform. You can also “self-service” via the app by checking account balances, transferring money, paying bills and depositing checks.

d. What is your argument for the app has real traction and widespread appeal?
I feel that the Citibank Mobile Banking App has traction and widespread appeal to the growing market of “self-service” customers. This growing group wants and expects full access to their account info and requires the ability to access account info and make account changes 24/7. Citi has provided anything that a self-service customer expects and much more. The app even has a branch and ATM locator for anywhere in the world that Citibank operates.

e. How well does it cater to its intended target audience?
I feel that the app caters very well to its intended target audience. The app has had some pain points after launch but those have been resolved and new features and enhancements continue to take place.

Fandango is an all-in-one mobile movie app that offers more than just a search for nearby movie theaters. It is a unique tool that provides a centralized location to do all your browsing, research and purchasing. Fandango provides access to movie trailers, clips, movie descriptions and reviews. Another feature of the Fandango app is the ability to purchase tickets ahead of time and provides movie times.
Fandango’s target market is anyone with a cell phone. It is a great asset for the movie buff or anyone looking to see a movie last minute. Fandango provides an alternate method to the customary way of having to physically go to the movies, it essentially brings the movies to you. Using the “Friend of Mine” concept the app partners with 75 movie theaters and is available online as well. Theaters are using Fandango and taking advantage of the societal shift to being cell phone oriented. Having a mobile app is in the interest of any company looking for a new way to market in today’s fast paced world where there is never enough time.

1. Select a mobile app to critique : Charmin’s Sit or Squat
What needs and/or wants is the ‘self-help’ mobile app attempting to fill?
This app attempts to fill the user’s need to find a clean and sanitary bathroom in public locations. The market is anyone looking for a clean bathroom in a public location. However, although anyone can download and use the app, Charmin seems to be targeting those that purchase toiletry items in the household so that they think of Charmin when making their toilet paper choice. According to this post, these apps want for consumers to think of the company when making purchasing decisions. This app seeks to be a friend by letting users know of a clean bathroom and in tern those users will choose Charmin next time they go shopping.

2. What other “self help” apps do you feel address “friend-of-mine” marketing that are not included in the blog or guest comments: Tiffany & Co. Ring Finder

The Tiffany app lets users design engagement rings and lets them take a picture of their hand to “try on” the ring. The app is useful for consumers who are trying to decide what kind of cut of diamond and band design they prefer for their ring. The choices are not Tiffany specific – simply allowing users to choose princess or oval cut. However, as this post explains, when the time comes to actually buy the ring consumers will think first of Tiffany and the app they used to find their preferences.
The app has appeal with women that are in relationships or just dreaming about their engagements and weddings.Tiffany is a well-known jewelry brand and while the app and ring designer remains neutral, consumers will still think of Tiffany first.

This is a critique for Clorox’s MyStain mobile app. “Whether you’re at home or on the go, the Clorox® MyStain™ app can give you tips and tricks to remove tough stains (Mobile application).” I found the app to be very user friendly. I did not enjoy the find a stain option because it did not display any matches for carpet or candle wax, which would have been very useful to me. The function provided more popular small stain recommendations, which were beneficial as well. The mobile app does live up to its intention of providing tips and tricks to remove the stain. Once a person clicks on the stain, another page loads with a brief description of the stain. On the same screen tips are separated by two categories: on the go and home, with respective icons for each. At the bottom of the screen, there is an option to “like” the tip and respond if it was helpful. This app is marketable to everyone who is attempting to fight a quick stain with one product. Stains can be a bother especially when you are going to an important meeting, venue, or special occasion. This was a great example of a self help app that can be used for many of our everyday fixes.

The mobile app that I feel address the friend of mine marketing concept would be UPS. “UPS stay connected when you’re on the go. With UPS Mobile, there’s no need to worry about wasted time or missed opportunities. Our applications let you easily ship and track from your phone or mobile device. Get quotes, make changes, stay ahead of the curve: logistics keeps you plugged in, even when you’re on the go (ups.com).” UPS has made it very accessible to get the information you need right at your finger tips. While using the services they are improving their brand image and inviting the customer in. The application does great in providing real world value because a customer can track their package as soon as it is ordered. I believe for this app to have widespread appeal customers would need to be frequent users of this shipping service. This app is competing against its website in terms of convenience, because you can get the same benefits by logging on from your smart phone to UPS’s website instead of downloading an app through your mobile server. So, infrequent users of UPS may not benefit from the mobile app, but frequent users of the service will. The app has a great way of targeting its target audience through marketing and self help need basis.

1) Having traveled a lot by car into unfamiliar areas in the past I really wish I had had Charmin’s “Sit or Squat” app available to me back then. It sure would have been great to know beforehand a local’s public restroom locations and, more importantly, their corresponding ratings. This app attempts to target both consumer and business markets (restroom users, building/restroom owners, and janitorial service companies). Everyone wants know that a restroom they need to use is sanitary and not dirty like most gas station restrooms. Additionally, since dirty restrooms deter on-site business sales, this app gives incentive to restroom/building owners and janitorial cleaning services to make sure their restrooms are clean, safe, functioning, and well stocked with bathroom supplies, otherwise it may get a bad rating on Sit and Squat. People may pass the facility by and go elsewhere. This is especially true in the case of highway food stop rest areas. Bad restroom ratings could, as a result, affect the adjacent gasoline and food service businesses. These businesses would continue to suffer losses for some time, until restroom ratings turned more positive.

2) “Home Design 3D” is an app that targets do-it-yourself homeowners and professionals, effectively helping them plan a home’s interior and/or exterior design, plus any needed renovations and/or redecorations. Users are able to preview a home or room’s current and new floor plan, layouts and décor, both inside and outside, from a photo realistic 3D perspective, prior to implementing their designs. The app also allows for on the spot changes and customizations, such as desired texture and color choices. This planning and app is helpful because it allows users and clients to see what design(s) will work best for the space or home. The app also helps both professionals and homeowners save money since it decreases design errors, design time and allows for instant modifications. This app is a really good “friend of mine” marketing tool not only for designers and builders/developers, but also for contractors, building and furniture suppliers at the retail and wholesale level.

Another app that is part of a good friend of mine marketing strategy is “Samsung’s Smart TV Now” . Samsung’s Smart TV Now, alias “VOD” (Video on Demand), app for Apple devices is a self-help app that allows current and potential Smart TV users to view videos about a Smart TV’s features and how these features work. This is often better than reading a TV’s manual since usage demonstrations get messages across better than printed material. Viral videos can also be watched. The whole idea though behind the app is to attract non owners of Smart TVs, perk their interest and reel them into a purchasing decision, after having them see the wonderful and uniquely different features Smart TVs have to offer, and the ease of feature usage. This essentially eliminates any perceived complication factors that may deter or postpone consumer ownership. Some features are helpful to the physically handicapped as well, such as voice commands and hand gesture feature selection. What the app boils down to is a “try it, you’ll like it” experience. It may not be the best app in the world for everyone, but it is definitely a really good one for those who have never owned a Smart TV before. It brings together all Smart TV videos and commercials that contain information about Samsung’s Smart products for app users to access, review and decide if one is the right TV product for them.

Coca-Cola is an example of a brand that has a huge cult following. Lovers of Coca-Cola are extremely brand loyal and greatly prefer Coke among its popular competitor, Pepsi.

The Coca-Cola Freestyle app allows users to locate the newly popular Coca-Cola machines within certain mile radiuses from their given location. These machines have popped up within the past few years in select dining establishments and have become widely popular among Coca-Cola enthusiasts. The machines allow the consumer to select from over 100+ soda favor combinations and loyal followers have fun by coming up with new “recipes” and even go as far as to share them with their friends and compete by creating the best concoctions.

The app not only allows the user to locate the nearby freestyle machines, it also allows for searching hours of operation per selected location, social media content sharing, and the ability to play with flavors and mix via the app. This app appropriately targets Coca-Cola’s freestyle enthusiast market by honing in on this recent following and providing a tool that allows this core market to further enjoy the brand.

Another example of a brand taking advantage of Friend of Mine marketing is A.C. Moore. A.C Moore’s consumers are crafty individuals who frequently purchase their arts and craft supplies from multiple stores like Michaels, Wal-Mart and Joanne Fabrics whenever their craft of choice is on sale. Painters for example purchase paints, brushes and canvases regularly and often seek the best deals when they’re ready to stock up.

A.C. Moore understands this about their core target market and recently launched an app that effectively goes after their market’s needs in attempt to convert them into brand loyal shoppers.

The front interface of the app contains all of promoted deals for the week in coupon form. Users can “clip” their coupons straight from the app and store them on their phone for easy access when shopping later. Consumers can also refer to the entire weekly ad, keep track of their rewards and even look up inspirational projects among multiple categories. The shown projects have step by step instructions and even list out the needed project supplies along with a store locator so the consumer can find the nearest location to purchase them.

The app provides value by providing A.C. Moore’s target audience with the tools their seeking in order to save the most on their craft supplies and learn more about how to perfect their craft and hobby. By providing in-app coupons, the brand can track the number of conversations made via the app and quantify its ROI. Widespread appeal would be most accepted among the crafts enthusiast market, as these are the consumers who actively seek deals on their craft supplies. This app delivers what the target market desires, so it’s safe to say that there is much promise in the success of this app as users will become more familiar of the brand and eventually become brand loyal consumers.

The app I am critiquing is Chase Bank. Their app is great, and it is part of the reason why I bank with Chase. They always have the newest technology for banking. Chase was the first to have ATM deposits without an envelope, person to person quick pay, mobile app banking and check deposit from a phone. Their app is great, you can set up account alerts and you are notified immediately whenever something happens with your accounts. They are trying to make banking simple and hopefully you move all of your accounts over to them. It is a great marketing strategy; they make banking less expensive and convenient so it is an easy decision for everyone to move their accounts to Chase Bank.
They market to everyone. Everyone can have a free checking account and from there they want to widen your accounts. Banking is a great business because it affects the majority of people; there are some people out there who refuse to work with banks for whatever reason and that is their decision, but the majority of people at least have a checking account. And, from there, it just makes sense to open your credit card, bank loan and mortgage with the same bank. So, that is their target market, someone looking for a checking account and then they want you to move all of your finances to them.
There are several friend of mine apps on the market today and there are a few that come to mind. Family Guy has a game app; it is a game inspired by the show. So, the idea is that fans of the show will download and play the game and that will make them want to talk about it and watch the show more; which will also catch the attention of the people who randomly watch the show and they will want to watch it more; and finally the people who don’t watch the show, maybe this fun game will make them give it a chance or a second change; basically, the app is intended to increase the show ratings. The real time value is that it is a nice break from work or anything; if you enjoy the show this interactive game is a lot of fun and can be a good stress reliever during your day. The traction and wide spread appeal come from the popularity of the show; fans of the show will love to play and it will bring in some new fans along the way. It caters to its intended audience well because it is an interactive game featuring characters you know from the show; so when you are having a stressful day it is nice to visit Family Guy.
And NBA Game time or NBC Sports. The idea of both of these is to be interactive while you are watching their programs; and their goal is to get everyone to watch their show while talking about it on these apps; or following it on the go and when you do have a chance to sit down and watch the game, you do it on their network. The Real time value is that you can monitor your games remotely or talk about it and get other perspectives during the game. The traction and wide spread appeal is that they both give you updates during the game, so it’s easy, you don’t need to open the app to get an update, it automatically tells what is happening. It is great to their audience because it is people who want to follow sports, and they help you do it, so you don’t need to worry about someone spoiling the end of the game because you were following it while you were living your life.

1. Charmin’s Sit or Squat App
This “self-help” mobile app is attempting to fill the need of people finding public restrooms when they are out and about whether they are on a road trip and need to make a quick pit stop or whether they are running some errands and need to stop for an emergency. I think this app is most useful when you are running errands on the street. When people take road trips there are usually signs on the road that will notify you where the nearest rest stop is with public bathrooms. I think when people are out and about running errands that this app really fulfills a need when you are in need of a restroom. I’ve seen myself in this situation and knowing this app is available makes it extremely resourceful. I actually just downloaded the app to my iPhone and will be sure to resort to it the next time I find myself in this situation. I feel that this app targets a very vast and diverse market. I think it yields a bit older since people who will most use this app are those that drive so I feel the ideal market would be adults 18+.

2. Yelp
Yelp, being one of my favorite apps, I feel addresses “friend of mine” marketing perfectly. For those not familiar with Yelp, it is a self-help app that allows you to find restaurants in your area and provides ratings and reviews from customers. This app uses the built in phone GPS to track your current location and inform you of restaurants nearby, giving you the exact distance and directions to get there. I feel this app offers maximum real time value by allowing you to find restaurants in real time and offering you all the information you need firsthand; it basically acts like a one-stop-shop. Yelp offers you real time value by proving address, directions and reviews, all factors that customers want to know of a restaurant, in one place, instantly.
I feel Yelp has real traction because it is extremely convenient and allows you to find restaurants that interest you whether they are locally or not. I for example went on a trip to Tampa, FL and we did not go to a restaurant to eat without “yelping it” first and I can testify that Yelp did not disappoint. The same way I felt that help had significant traction and appeal to me, many of my friends use the app for the same purpose. I think Yelp meets the needs of their target audience perfectly. Using this app on a weekly basis, I cannot think of one thing I can think of that I would like to change or add to this app. I think this app meets its expectations and serves the purpose it is intended to perfectly. As stated previously, Yelp provides its target audience a one-stop-shop “self-help” app that gives you all the information you need and want when searching for a restaurant to eat at. For those that are not familiar or have not yet downloaded this app, I highly recommend it!

Charmin’s Sit or Squat is a great idea and even better execution for a mobile app. People everywhere struggle with finding a restroom everyday. It is great that the folks at Charmin thought of this idea of letting people know where a restroom is via an app utilizing LBS. This app fulfills a need and want that almost everyone can relate to…because everyone needs to use the restroom at some point. If you are ever out of your house and in an unfamiliar restroom, this app can let you know where a decent restroom is! This app appeals to everyone, like I said above, this is something no one demographic can escape. There are not many mobile apps out there that appeal to everyone or all markets, but this one does. At first, some may think this app is silly but it is very realistic and many times a hunt for the restroom can be frustrating and overwhelming. This app proves to be a necessity just like an app that lets you know where the nearest gas station is. At some point, all drivers will need to get gas and sometimes you are unfamiliar with the area or you want to know where has the cheapest gas prices. The Charmin app is a great app that will help ease the search public restrooms and will let users choose one based on ratings. Genius!

Another app not included is Cloth. Cloth is a self-help app aimed to help users keep track of their wardrobe and assist them when trying to figure out what to wear. This “issue” is very common amongst women and they spend a great deal of time trying to decide what to wear to everyday and on certain occasions. Why not have an app that can help you decide or offer suggestions on items you already own? The target market are those women 15-30 who are interested in fashion and who have a wide range of clothing. There are other apps out there that serve as an mobile look book; however, the Cloth app will actually give you suggestions on what to wear based on the weather that day, what you have already worn recently, etc. Users are encouraged to upload pictures of their clothing to formulate their mobile closet and from there they will leave notes, tips, and categorize each item based on how you wear it or what you wear it to. This app stays real-time, relating to users on an everyday basis. As far as spread, this app looks like it will only cater to a certain demographic. As a female, this mobile app appeals to me, as I struggle with wardrobe decisions and I think it is a brilliant idea to take pictures of your clothes and have an app suggest what I should wear for the day. If users keep up with snapping pictures of their clothes, this app can be very useful. Off the top of my head, I have a few friends that I know would use it, especially if I shared my outfits to social media and they saw the app’s capabilities.

In an age where marketing is so prevalent its infused into every aspect of one’s life, we become numb to the messages, and marketing efforts by companies lose impact. It’s why marketing has transitioned from Top-of-Mind to Friend-of-Mine. With companies now competing against friends and family for the attention of others, it becomes necessary to also start engaging in marketing efforts that befriend the consumer. Self-help apps are a new method of attaching a brand name to information and services found useful by consumers, and the end result is identifying these brands as trustworthy and helpful, displaying qualities we also seek out in friends; thus the befriending concept.

One Friend-of-Mine app is the Oakley Surf Report app. Right off hand we identify the brand Oakley, a top provider of sunglasses along with additional apparel and accessory items. Most associate Oakley with outdoors sunny beach weather, and its only fitting that the Oakley Surf Report app connects consumers to break/surf conditions (weather and water) worldwide. The market is clearly the surfer enthusiast. Competing with other brands such as Billabong and Hurley, the idea is that Oakley’s beneficial app will “befriend” surfers who will engage in more Oakley purchases over competitor brands like Hurley and Billabong to name a few.

With over 1 million downloadable apps, the list of Friend-of-Mine marketing apps can be extensive. While there are apps in existence that provide a service such as GasBuddy, there exists no real national or global diverse brand compared to those like Charmin or Clorox. Friend-of-Mine marketing apps, while by definition can apply to apps like GasBuddy, really seem to relate more to companies that are trying to lure consumers to their brand and diverse portfolio of products and/or services. Don’t forget that it is marketing, and there is a strategy aimed at increasing revenue. Apps like GasBuddy generate a profit either by a cost associated to purchase the app or the marketing by others through this app.

Almost every major company nowadays has an app that offers services useful to its customer base. Most of these apps to me are merely an extension of services through mobile technology to keep customers connected – part of a customer satisfaction and retention program.

With Easter in less than 24-hours, another notable app that fits my concept of Friend-of-Mine marketing is Martha Stewart Eggs. The entire app is built around dyeing eggs and is supported by Martha Stewart Living. Helping mothers among others with egg preparations for Easter, the idea is the same; build the trust and befriend end user to achieve strong brand recognition and future potential revenue.

Friend-of-Mine marketing and apps have validity and will continue to be a rising star. Individuals like to feel capable of doing things on their own which will drive the needs for self-help apps. With so much noise in the marketing world, this strategy will become more effective than traditional paradigms of marketing.

What needs and/or wants is the ‘self-help’ mobile app attempting to fill?

This self-help app was created with the help of Bacardi. It is simple, it is trying to accomplish one thing, you buy a bottle of join, rum, tequila or vodka; then what?

The biggest problem in buying a bottle of one of the Bacardi brands is the know-how in making a cocktail for yourself and guests. This app attempts to solve that problem by offering cocktails that are easy to make and made in 60 seconds. This solves the age old question in the customers mind: “What do I mix it with?”.

The app does numerous things: first, it fills in the want and need for mixing different spirits. This is not a Bacardi rum app, it is a Bacardi portfolio app. You can find recipes for tequila, rum, vodka and gin. Second, it gives you step by step directions to make it for a group of guests. This app is made for entertaining, which is why customers can easily open this app and make some quick cocktail with easy to follow directions.

What are their markets?

Their markets are most certainly 21 and over. If I were to target a specific market in my mind, it would be the 35-45 year old demographic who are entertaining guests and home and are looking for easy to make cocktails to wow their guests. I feel that an app like this is great on a nationwide level.

2. What other “self help” apps do you feel address “friend-of-mine” marketing that are not included in the blog or guest comments

I feel that the UPS app really helps you out from a productivity standpoint. The app offers a way to track your package , find UPS locations and even create shipping labels. Although, it is circling back business to the company, shipping is always something I use and this app has come in handy.

Another app I feel is very helpful is Amazon’s price check app. You can scan an item in a store and it will give you results on pricing. While their pricing might not be the best, you have the option of seeing if it is worth purchasing online.

How does the app providing real-time value?

I feel these apps provide real-time value by letting you create shipping labels on the go. You can track your package to see if it has arrived at its location as well.

As for the Amazon app, it allows you to make purchasing decisions on the go without having to do too much research in pricing. Usually, Amazon is the lowest priced so it is good to be able to compare with an app such as this.

What is your argument for the app have real traction and widespread appeal?

I feel for an app to have real traction and widespread appeal, there needs to be a need in want for it.

There is a need and want to compare prices easier without having to go through an internet browser.

I feel the same goes for the Bacardi app, there is a want and need to make good cocktails to entertain your guests. This app is great, what would be a good build and spread to a wider audience would be to continue to add cocktails to the list.

How well does it cater to its intended target audience?

I feel that these specific apps are great for their intended target audience and it really hits the mark. The Bacardi app is free, the expectation is that the consumer buys the bottle and buys the ingredients to make drinks in one minute.

The Amazon app is for the savvy shopper who loves to compare prices. I feel it does a great job of making it an easy to navigate app.

In the Nike+ Running App, this app is attempting to encourage more physical activity, primarily through the form of running or walking. This app allows users to track the distance they have ran by using the built-in GPS feature on many phones. Through doing this, users of this app can keep tabs on how much they ran, as well as connect it with their friends and see how they compare to other people. This can be used as a motivating tool because when friends cannot be around to take part in the exercise, they can still participate from a distance—literally. You can also post how far you have run by connecting the app to social media networks, to broadcast how you are doing. This can help to receiving motivation from everyone. If that’s not enough motivation, users of this app can even add a widget to their phone’s home screen to keep record of the last run that took place, and remind users to run, should they not use the app after a period of time. This encourages users of the app to become users of Nike products, especially since they have many products, including shoes that can connect with the app and provide good results.
The target markets of Nike, through this app, are focusing on everyone. With this app, they are focusing on every age range, as well as every gender, and every region around the world. Nike is a well-known company, whose products are sold wherever you look.
Another self-help app that addresses the “friend-of-mine” concept would be banking apps. For myself, I bank with Wells Fargo, and I feel their app is very helpful in giving information and well as making banking so convenient. I would definitely say it provides real-time value because it allows users to bank in their own time, and not necessarily during banking hours. An example of this can be found in the option to deposit a check from the app. Customers can take a front and back photo of the check, through the camera option on the app, verify the amount, and have their money deposited. The bank suggests that customers hold on to the check for 5 days, in case the original is needed. This process of check depositing could not have been made any easier!
Features, such as the check deposit, can appeal to customers and users because it helps many people to avoid the idea of driving, weather, timing, and long lines. The only factor is you! Other than mobile deposits, users can check their banking balance, complete banking transactions, such as transfers or bill paying, or find banks and ATMs through a self-help option using the phones GPS locator. You can also make appointments the bank, apply for loans and use calculators (the option for these use the phone’s internet browser).
Overall, this app caters to their targeted markets in a great way. The idea of how Wells Fargo has made things so convenient for everyone is evident.
Other apps that have great self-help features include Geico, Careerbuilder and OnStar. These apps all have great features to help users find things themselves and make users more dependent on themselves, rather than call centers and service centers. The Geico app brings car insurance to another level, allowing users to view and pay for their policy, make changes to their policy and even view and show your insurance card digitally. Careerbuilder allows its users, through the app, to search and apply for jobs through the convenience of saved information on your account profile. OnStar has become a favorite for me because it allows users to use a remote built into the app, to control features of your vehicle, such as starting the car, locking and unlocking the car, and sounding your horn and lights as a panic. It also tracks some of the cars performance, such as tire pressure and oil life, and reports this information to the nearest dealer (based on make of vehicle). This is helpful because dealers can contact you and set up appointments to fix some issues we can overlook with busy schedules.

The Scott’s Lawn app helps consumers with creating a great lawn that they can be proud of. You start by telling the app what kind of lawn you want: good, better or best. Based on how great you want your lawn to look, the app will provide information on how to go about starting. You input your zip code and suddenly the app provides you with the types of grass, soil, watering schedule, fertilizing schedule, etc. you need in order to create the type of lawn that you want. In addition to a perfect plan, the app provides helpful videos and tips on how to keep your lawn looking great, such as how to identify certain weeds and what to do about them. The app is marketing mainly to homeowners.

HGTV has an app called Folio that provides endless design inspiration to the consumer. It has all kinds of features such as a “find your style” option where you can take a quiz to learn about the kinds of designs and styles you may love. After you take the quiz, Folio takes you to virtual rooms that you may like based on your answers so you can hone in on your personal style. The app is highly interactive and allows you to click on pieces of furniture, wall colors, accessories, etc. and it provides detailed information. So if you are looking at your “dream room” and really love the paint color on the wall, you can click on it and it will tell you what the paint color is and what company makes it. The app also lets you save pages so you can keep a folder of your favorite things. And if you want your friends and family to see what inspires you, you can socially share all of your “likes” and let everyone see what your design style is.

Folio provides real-time value because at any moment, you can open up the app and get quality design help at your fingertips for free. You can create your own personal aesthetic easily and in your own time, something that prior to apps such as these was a very difficult feat. The app is highly appealing for those who want to create an awesome room but don’t have the budget for an interior decorator or designer. It helps people create a home that they are proud of, something that most people want but don’t know how to do alone. Folio caters to its intended audience very well. It’s an interactive, photo-based app that is easy to use and highly visual. Oftentimes, people do not know what their style is until the see it, and Folio helps take the guesswork out of the sometimes-scary world of design. This interaction inevitably drives customers back to HGTV by educating them and helping them get more and more interested in design.

Charmin Sit or Squat is an application that helps the smartphone users to find quickly an available bathroom to use in a particular location. Users simply need to enter the zip code or city they are currently located in, and the app will provide them with a series of bathroom available to go to. Red, grey and green icon will appear on the map, showing which bathroom are considered sit or squat (red squat, and green sit).
This application is self-help because it helps the customers find a bathroom near them in case of an emergency. How does this help Charmin? Because if you downloaded this application, and have used it, the brand you will be more likely to purchase in the future when going to Wal-Mart or another store will probably be Charmin as you will remember this brand and the help it provided you.
When brand help customers for free, the level of satisfaction increase and customers are more likely to return to this store or purchase this brand in the future.
A personal example would be the Geek Squat, accepting to quickly fix one of my computers for a reduced price. Their service was so satisfying that I returned there for other issues. Here Charmin market is the people needing to go to the bathroom, and their hope is that in the future purchases of toilet paper, they will remember the brand.
Charmin’s Video Advertising:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74l8Em71zKQ

Another self-help application would be UPS application.
In case you need to track a package and do not want to re-enter the tracking number again and again on the webpage, this application will save it for you and track instantaneously the package. The application also helps users to make estimations on the costs of shipping packages, asking from where to where and the weight of the package. Users will get a very good estimate on the price of the package according to the delivery speed they will select.
The application also help user create shipping labels in order to save time to the users and not having to go and spend hours in the UPS office in order to ship a package.
This experience is usually very satisfying for the customer, who will be most likely to use this brand again. I personally used their application several time, and it is in my personal opinion one of the best tracking/shipping application available.
A lot of people buy online nowadays or ship packages purchased online, the application allow users to track and do almost everything from their mobile phone without the need of spending hours in a UPS store.
According to the UPS website: “With the UPS Mobile App you can get important shipment information anytime and anywhere on your Smartphone.” (UPS, 2014)
It allow to:
- Enter tracking information for tracking packages progress, current status, etc.
- Get estimated cost, and quotes, and timeframes.
- Increase efficiency by tracking and changing shipments quickly and easily.
- GPS for UPS store locator
- Access over 75 shipments.
- Create shipments quickly for shipping and payment preferences.
- Etc.
I believe this application perfectly target its audience, as most particular and companies like to know where their packages are. Companies also like to save time, and the shipping option is a real time saver. I believe this application is very useful, user-friendly and self-help. I believe as more and more people use internet for purchase, the shipping need and tracking packages increases, which will provide an excellent appeal to the application.

Mobile phones have undergone so many facilities and the new generation cell phones have almost all functionalities of a personal computer. The high end mobile phones with advanced features are known as Smart phones. They are highly efficient in performing multiple functions and is a combination of gadgets rolled into one namely a camera, computer, calendar, TV etc.

1. AroundMe it the perfect application, helpful and easy to use either around your neighbor or when you are out of the city or state. It helps to find restaurants, banks, gas stations, hospital, supermarkets, etc. This application captures your current location and shows you what you are looking for in the area where you are. As nowadays we are constantly moving and running this type of apps makes our live easier to look exactly what we need and where we need it. In my personal experience, this application helps me even out of Florida when I travel.

2. Starbucks App – As a coffee lover this application is one of the best. The Starbucks coffee give you points for every purchase that you made, helps you find the nearest Starbucks location and also give “pick of the week” which is either a free app download or free song. I totally enjoy this type of apps, motivate me as a customer, recognize me with awards, free coffee, drinks or deals and help me to locate the near location, the location hours and amenities.

3. Viber is a free messaging and calling app for mobile devices. For me is one of most useful application as I have friends and family around the world and every user that has this app downloaded on the cellular device can call any time, and message with no cost. The service is excellent; I made calls with no restriction of time or place around the world. This app is definitely a friend of mine as helps me to stay connected with my friend and family. Its user-friendly app that everybody can enjoy and will be beneficiary.

4. Google translate and the entire Google app is a most for me. Absolutely friend of mine apps, the translator helps me every time that I need to translate any word from Spanish to English or even to Portuguese. This app not only helps me to write the words, but also how to pronounce it. This is the type of app that is a most to have, to use and to promote.

5. Calorie counter & diet tracker, as a healthy – fit person I always like to take care of my self, care about what I eat, and track the ingested calories and the exercise that daily perform. This app helps me to do all that, it tells me how many calories, minerals, nutrients and sugar has that cereal bar, and also tell me how many calories ill burn in the spinning class. This app is definitely a friend of mine as I use it in a daily basis to track my exercise perform and diet. I love this app as helps me be stay focused and do my best with my goal day by day.

Nowadays they are a lot of friendly, friend of mine, addictive and most need it app that makes our life easier. These are only my TOP 5 options out of thousand of apps that every day release in the app market. These TOP 5, beside my social media apps, are part of my days and makes my live easier.

GasBuddy
This self-help mobile app provides us with reliable information which compares prices of gas stations around you so you can select the lowest one to go to. You can also search for the cheapest gas using city or zip code or postal code. This app uses gas price information which is submitted by its own users. This really gives it a ‘friend of mine’ feel since all the users are leaning towards a common goal of finding cheap gas. It works in the United States and Canada and also offers incentives to its users. You can win $100 of gas each and every day. You can also earn points and rewards for reporting and posting gas prices.
Their market is fuel, cost saving, and self-help. Their intended users are drivers and people who are looking to save money… So basically just about everyone with a car in this economy.
Some other apps I feel are very useful and play a part in friend of mine marketing are Trulia, Bank of America and Expedia.
Trulia is normally a desktop sight which allows users to view homes, apartments and commercial properties which are available to purchase or rent. By converting it to a mobile app users are able to use the assistance more accessible and more often. The alerts which are sent when new properties are listed in areas you have search are what give it the friend of mine marketing approach.
Back of America app like many other banks apps now offer check deposited via your cellphone. This is so convenient! A deposit of a check can be made simply by taking a picture of it and uploading it to the app. Convenience for its users is the key here.
Expedia app allows you to view and arrange travel plans right from your phone. Instead of searching through thousands of email to locate your flight and hotel information this app stores it all in one place. My own personal travel agent in the form of an app.
Gas Buddy provides real time value by giving users the information they want and need in order to find the cheapest gas around. They recently added a new ‘favorite gas station’ feature which provides users with insight on which ones are usually other users top choices or which ones consistently offer the lowest gas prices.
During the tough economic times we have been experiencing in the United States it crucial that we save as much money as possible on things which are necessary such as gas, food, and shelter. This app has an unimaginable widespread appeal because it helps us in a time of need. Instead of changing your mean of transportation to save money you can use this app and continue driving yourself around. Walking is unrealistic when long distances come into play and buses can be inconvenient when you have to be punctual. GasBuddy allows you to save money while still keeping your usual routine.

I fell as though GasBuddy does a great job catering to people who are intending to save money and still drive their own vehicles versus having to walk, ride buses, carpool, and ride a bike.

Clorox’s my stain is an application that you can download to your smart phone that will tell you the best way to get rid of any stains that you may have. It is a user friendly app, where you can search for any particular stain and the material that it is on and it will tell you how to erase the stain using Clorox products or other general products found in the house. It was a good idea for Clorox to put an application out there that can help them identify their brand with stain removal. This useful tool markets the Clorox products without forcing it down your throat and helps with laundry problems too. This type of marketing is called branding, which is where the company brands their product with a specific need. This app helps the company to make good use of their budget by advertising and strengthening their brand all in one step. So anytime you have a stain you will think of the Clorox’s my stain application and you will use a Clorox product.

Clorox made sure that the application was very eye catching to attract their target audience. They place a baby making a mess by eating spaghetti on the app home page. This is attracts the wives and mothers who know all too well how hard it is to get stains out of kids clothing. It’s so much easier to just pick up your phone and find out what you need to do, when removing red wine from your beautiful dress without having to take it to the cleaners and pay a fortune. You no longer have to contact your mother or an older, wiser friend to find out how to remove that stain that won’t go away. Also, using the Clorox app on your phone prevents you from ruining your clothes. This app is very similar to the little stain removal book that you could get at grocery stores of old, but more user friendly. Due to the uniqueness of the application it can easily be used by single parents or just about anyone who’s looking for assistance on how to keep their clothing bright and clean. Also this brand is very popular, I actually remember my mom using it growing up, and I am still using it today because it’s a very reliable cleaner. This application refreshes a product that has been around for ages and presents it in a fresh and appealing way to reach a younger audience.

Another similar “Friend-of-Mine” application that is very good is the Food Network “On the Road” application. This app finds Food Network recommended restaurants and hot spots across the United States from top shows such as “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” to name a few. This Food Network application has developed a strong presence in the app market and has widespread appeal because it is derived from very popular television shows that already have a large following. This software allows the TV fans to become more than just watchers of TV. They are now able to carry the recommendations of their favorite shows with them and apply the suggestions to their restaurant choices. All while the Food Network brand stays front and center in the users mind even when they are away from the television.

On the road caters to the young and the old. It has a very broad customer base due to the success of its TV network counterpart. These days, there is hardly anyone without a smart phone and if they can get information on places to eat from a company that they respect, then they will use it.

To be blunt, the Clorox myStain app is the epitome of ‘self-help’ and a prime example of ‘friend-of-mine’ marketing. The Clorox myStain app is the tool to utilize when in need of advice and tips on stain removal and laundry help. The app goes far as to even humorously explain the ‘hieroglyphic’ labels on clothing tags. By scrolling through reviews, an article, and a few blogs, everyone agrees Clorox had done something amazing: using the mobile platform to answer a need. As I mentioned before, this self-help app provides answers to questions ranging from how to remove wine stains, grass stains, and ink stains. The need is to know how to remove the toughest stains based on relevance, convenience, and immediacy. The target market for this need is mom. For Clorox, mothers are the most likely candidate to be shopping for their products and so, “The focus of Clorox’s mobile marketing revolves around making moms’ lives easier” (A., 2013).

Another self-help app that meets friend-of-mine marketing is the Tide Stain Brain. Created by Proctor & Gamble (P&G), the app is similar to Clorox’s application. When a stain issue arises, the app provides convenient answers. From reading the app description, the only difference between the Tide app and the Clorox app is that Tide Stain Brain allows users to “ask questions and get advice from fellow stain fighters in the community.” The app does have traction and real appeal it meets the need to understand how to remove stains at any moment, anytime. By allowing chats to take place in one’s local area, mothers have the freedom to share their own unique stain removing secrets with one another. The reason I chose to comment on this app was that I was a little surprised to see that Tide and P&G too take role in participating in friend-of-mine marketing.

Another app is The Ultimate Fly-Fishing Guide. This is the self-help guide for every fly fisherman. From making knots to knowing how to cast a line to instructional videos, the app has it all. All for a total of $5.99 unfortunately and it comes at a size of 187 MB but these only dictate that the app mean business. Fly Fish America—a magazine that tests and reviews everything fishing related—gave the app their Editor’s Choice Awards. However, I believe that if it weren’t for the price of the app, the traction and popularity of the app would have been much, much more than it is now. The market is open to anyone that is into fly-fishing but I believe it would be predominantly male. And as far as providing real-time value, the app is readily convenient and ready to provide instructions, tips, and how-to’s on the spot

The owning company of the app is Orvis. They deal with men’s and women’s sportswear, gifts, travel accessories, pet items, shotguns, and sporting services. With this app, I am positive Orvis is not only becoming friends with mobile users, but they will be the first company they think off when it is time to buy anything fly fishing related, from hooks to attire once they hit the store.

An example of a mobile could be How to tie a tie app. The How to tie a tie app is intended to market towards mainly men. The mobile is also a “self-help app” by teaching and informing people (mostly men) how to tie a tie. The knowledge of knowing how to tie a tie can impress certain people. People do not have to ask other people to tie a tie for them. Many men do not know how to tie a tie, and usually ask sales associate tie it for them. People are trying to make a good impression to get a job for businesses. Some people are into fashion; there is many ways to tie depending on the occasion.

The app I chose to be considered as a “self help” app and has a “friend of mine” marketing concept is the Agape Church of God app. The Agape Church of God app is intended to reach those that are striving to get a relationship with God, learn about God, and teach others about God’s love. It is a “self help” app by putting out the message from the pastor every Sunday, and shows you specific bible verses that may be relevant on the difficult situations that people are trying to overcome. People may want to hear a testimony or a message that could lift there spirits with joy and change their hearts and minds for the better. The people decide whether or not they want to listen to message or read the bible verses on the app.

The “friend of mine” marketing concept comes in when the person used the app, and wants to attend the church for the useful information given to help them with their personal lives. The person that has experienced using the app and attends the church could spread the good news on how to have a more positive view on life to their and families. Their friends or family members are intrigued when they observe the difference in character of the marketer and how it had positive result on them. The Agape Church of God app can be used at any time of day and it can give encouragement to people.

1. The mobile app I chose from this blog is Clorox’s MyStain. This app gives consumers tips and tricks to remove tough stains. “You can browse the library of stains alphabetically, or take a spin and see what happens when people, events and fabrics collide.” While giving you free tips on how consumers can remove stains, the app also suggests the use of Clorox products. So when a consumer is in the process of removing the stain using one of the free products Clorox suggests, such as club soda, the app then suggests a better finish using a Clorox product.
a. This self-help app is attempting to fill the need for getting rid of tough stains. This app is very creative because while helping consumers get what they need, they are also promoting not only the companies name but the products as well.
b. I think this app is not tailored to a specific market. Anyone trying to get rid of a stain can use this app- from a mother trying to get a stain out oh her baby’s clothes to a college student trying to get a stain off his/her new jeans.
2. Another “self-help” app I feel addresses “friend-of-mine” marketing is called “Drinkspiration by Absolut Vodka.” This free app helps the market of alcohol drinkers/mixers make new drinks; it gives different recipes on how to make new drinks. It is for consumers that are looking to try something new. “
Created by Swedish vodka brand Absolut, suggestions are categorized around vodka, gin, rum, brandy, whisky and tequila based drinks. The methods of suggestion are fun –you can get “Drinkspiration” by location, time of day and even by background noise, with the app analyzing the volume to suggest “quiet” or “loud” drinks.”
a. This app provides real-time value because it gives easy and quick recipes on how to mix different drinks, it provides different drink recommendations no matter what the consumer’s preferences are. Consumers don’t have to go research; they can easily solve their problem by using this app. The app gives you different drink recipes depending on the situation the consumer is in.
b. This app is very creative because it is helping the consumer get what they need while befriending him or her. Not only are they helping the consumer and befriending them on the way, but they are also promoting their products. Many of the drink recipes include the use of Absolute Vodka, so the consumer is bound to buy it in order to get what they need.
c. I think this app does well at catering to its intended audience because it is alcohol drinkers who are going to look for drink mix recipes, so having Absolut Vodka sponsor this app targets the right type of consumer. Also, in order to download this app you have to be 21 and over, so this way, the app won’t fall into the wrong hands.

I found an Iphone app called “My diet Coach”; I chose this app because it was the first one that appeared in the search results and as a plus it had high ratings, and I thought it would be interesting to investigate it. My diet coach app wants to give help to men or women that need or want to lose weight. After downloading the app the first that appear on screen are 2 women caricatures, one fat and one more skinny, which represents your before and after bodies. The first task you have to do is to write your goal (e.g. I will lose 20 pounds in 3 months), then you have to enter your personal information: age, weight, etc. This app was designed to help people lose weight by giving them tips, helpful reminders, set up goals, and keeping track of everyday food and exercises. Their target market is all those who want to lose weight, but mostly women between the ages 18 and 40. In my opinion this is a good source to lose weight because is fun and it works as constant reminders and tips to help you lose weight.

My diet coach is providing real-time value by letting customers enter their food by the time they’re ingesting. For example, at breakfast time you can search for the food you are eating (e.g. pancakes) and the app will calculate the calories you are ingesting in real time, also you can snapshot your food, and scan barcodes. This app works with word-of-mouth if they really satisfy their customers these will recommend the app with friends. This app is free, but you have the option to upgrade to all inclusive packages which includes more and better features; for example, track water consumption, take meal snapshot, and log repetitive entries just once. These features will create better customer experience and customer satisfaction. Customers only need to pay 3$ as on time payment to have the complete package. In my opinion this app cater very well their intended target audience. At the moment women download this app it appears this female character with this before and after look they desire. Then they can change the appearance to get her look just like them; customer can change the girl’s hair and skin color.

Now that I have this app I will use it to see how well it really works. I think it’s a good helper for those wanting to los weight and seemed impossible and boring. This app give you good tips and the most important it gives also motivational advice and tips; for example posting your own before and after pictures, because seeing this pictures help you motivate and keep going until you reach your goal.

An app I recently stumbled up was called “Sing Harmonies App”. I found this app when I was searching the web for something that could help me to learn how to sing harmony. I ended up finding this app and loving it! It is designed from a vocal instructor named Susan Anders, and the purpose of the app is to help people to be able to learn harmony on their own. While this does seem counterproductive since Susan is a vocal teacher and makes her business off of teaching people how to sing, her app is actually a very strategic and competitive business tool. By offering her services to people through a cheap and low price she has many people downloading her app. The more people who use her app bring more popularity to her as a vocal instructor. From personal experience, after seeing her app I was so impressed by it and how well she understood music that I wanted to find out how I could get singing lessons from her. I also sent in my email and subscribed to her newsletter that sends out singing tips, singing product information, sales notifications and vocal workshops.

The need/want that this “self-help” app is attempting to fill is my desire to learn how to sing harmony. The main market that this app targets are singers and people who are interested in music. This app provides real-time value because it teaches people how to sing harmony from a professional vocal instructor. After using this app a person should be able to sing harmony and understand musically what a harmony consists of. I love music and have talked to a lot of different singers and they say that learning harmony is essential for a great vocalist. However, lessons are very pricy and it is not easy to learn on your own. That is why I think this app is so appealing and will be very popular in the near future. The app also has a very “friend-of-mine” appeal to it because you can customize everything including how much music is being played on the app, what kind of harmony you want to learn and much more. I think this app is excellent at catering to its target audience. Most music-oriented people are also artistic, so this app is designed with a lot of color and is fun to use. It also has upbeat fun songs to learn from and is very creatively designed.

Another “self help” app that is on the market is called “shop savvy.” This app is an amazing tool that helps users to locate the cheapest products online and in stores. This app has been revolutionary for coupon users and people who like to save money. This app addresses friend-of-mine marketing because people can easily research for products through this app.

Until this article, I was not aware of “friend-of-mine marketing,” but I now see how it can be very beneficial for a company. Offering customers an app that benefits them, but also markets the company’s brand image is an amazing tool.

1. From the mentioned apps, I decided to choose Clorox’s MyStain.
a. This free self app is attempting to fill the need for removing tough stains, it gives consumers tips and tricks to remove these stains while offering Clorox products as well.
b. This app is not really tailored to a specific market, I think anyone experiencing tough stains could be counted as part of the market- From a mother trying to get rid of the stains on her baby’s clothes to a college student getting a stain of his/her blanket.
2. Another self-help app that I found interesting and quite helpful is called “Drinkspitation by Absolut.”This is a free app, created by Swedish vodka brand Absolut. It gives consumers suggestions on how to mix different drinks categorized around vodka, gin, rum, brandy, whisky and tequila. I think this is another great “friend of mine” way of marketing because it is befriending the consumers by helping them fill in their need for mixing different type of drinks and wanting to try new things. The app sometimes suggests the use of Absolut, so while it is helping consumers get what they need, Absolut also gets sales. Also, when the targeted consumers (alcohol drinkers) are looking to make new drinks following this app, they are more likely to use the vodka that sponsors the app itself.

My Scotts Lawn stood out for me since I downloaded it for my parents. They like having the helpful information it provides. For average lawn enthusiasts like my parents, they love having the professional help, since the apps locates your area and then recommends the feeding times, also creates customized lawn feedings recommendations based on the location. If you’re having trouble-identifying weed types than send a picture to Scott’s lawn and the app can send all information about that weed type. With the free videos, it also comes with email and a phone number to directly contact My Scotts lawn for help. By giving out free help for the amateur lawn enthusiasts My Scotts is hoping to create a friend of the friend relationship. If you happen to go out and by lawn keeping products the name My Scotts should come first.
My Scotts lawn is aiming at the amateur lawn guy, those that want to have good-looking lawn but without the expensive hired help. To use the app it requires you log in with an email plus gets your location. Using these two types of information My Scotts has a good idea what types products is needed based on customer requirement. A more specialized product intended form just that one area.
I thought Nike+ was a good example of friend of mine app. The Nike+ Running app tracks distance, pace, time and calories burned with GPS, giving you audio feedback as you run. Automatically upload to nikeplus.com to see your runs, including your route, elevation and NikeFuel. Also includes social functions, allowing you to post run on Facebook and other social sites, while motivating you to go further and comes with music playing capability. Basically for those that run can get the most help without buying an expensive equipment to monitor their run. Nike+ brings the fun of running and while tracking your progress with the already purchased cell phone at your dispose. This app is perfect for those that love to be out, running, mountain biking, anything like that will attract huge amounts of people. All the free functions help it compete with the most expensive of equipment’s. For those who just started running, being able to post the routs on Facebook adds a huge boost to their self-esteem. The intended target being anyone who wants to track their progress while on the move, I say this app does a good job of including enough functions to attract all who are under the athletic umbrella. It just needs some push from Nike. Some TV and social camping should help raise awareness for the apps.

I think that Charmin’s Sit or Squat app is absolutely genius. Everyone at some point has had to use the bathroom while they weren’t in the comfort of their own home, or any home for that matter. At some point you’ll have to use a public bathroom and when you do, there are many factors to consider. For one, you’ll need to know what locations in your vicinity even have a public bathroom and whether or not they are for paying patrons only. Then you also want to know how clean these bathrooms are. There are people who, no matter how desperate, will refuse to use a bathroom if it isn’t clean enough. Thanks to the ratings and reviews on the app, you can find a clean public bathroom. Also, because the ratings and reviews come from other users, you can better trust it to be reliable.
This app is invaluable for anyone on a road trip or simply taking an extended length drive. Charmin’s Sit or Squat app is also a great tool for parents with small children. It seems kids always have to use the bathroom at the most inconvenient times and at least if you have this app, you can easily find a nearby restroom.
Another “self-help” app is Movies by Flixster. With this app, you can search for movies and it will find where you’re located, show all the nearby movie theaters, and list the available movie times for the film. You can also save your favorite movie theaters. The app also allows you to view trailers, Rotten Tomatoes reviews, and create a “watchlist” of movies you want to see. The Movies by Flixster app also allows you to download and stream movies. The movie industry is one of the largest industries in the U.S. so this app will appeal to many people. It’s already one of the most popular movie apps for iPhone. Besides all the aforementioned features, you can also order your tickets directly from the app. This app appeals to all movie watchers and even allows you to connect to, view, and manage your Netflix account.

1. I am partial to Chase Bank’s mobile app. It is a free service that allows the user to access their Chase accounts, and perform nearly all banking-related actions from their mobile device. The portion of the app that converted me to a Chase banker was the QuickPay feature, which allows for instant cash transfers and online bill payments, all for free. The simplicity of the app sparked my interest, while the convenience and absence of costs for these services was enough to draw me away from my old bank and become a Chase customer. The efficacy and effectiveness of this open app is proven to be enough to draw individuals from all spheres of commerce to bank with Chase.
2. Another noteworthy app is MLBtv’s mobile application. Though subscription to the service is attained through annual renewals, a non-member can download and use the app as well, with limited features. Among these select features, however, are the ability to watch select free games live and in HD, a real-time pitch FX graphic, and exclusive MLB.com articles and postgame wrap-ups. The plethora of features contained within this app is enough to tantalize baseball fans of any level, and the free features offered are likely enough to build enough trust with the app that people will then upgrade to the paid premium service.
Moreover, the Comcast app makes it possible for subscribers (and potential future subscribers, alike) to find troubleshooting advice for their devices, as well as to customize and personalize their services and subscriptions. Being that Comcast is notorious for its lackluster customer service, the accessibility of this app serves as a refresher in confidence for their service department. The reality is that the Comcast app does not actually perform any services of any value, but rather reinforces the idea that Comcast is there to serve the customer, even if the customer is simply looking up their own troubleshooting advice.

Charmin is promoting its toilet paper by creating the Sit or Squat app. This application is attracting customers by providing the information about public restrooms and their rating. People who are constantly outside their home, running errands may have to use the bathroom and could be better off by having an app that will use GPS location to point the closest restroom and describe how clean the bathroom is going to be.
Charmin’s market is for everyone because everyone must use the bathroom. But Charmin specifically targets the people who are outside their homes and must use public restrooms. In my opinion, this is a great app because it saves us time, some restrooms are really nasty and even if we needed it to go, we would prefer to get home or wait to find a clean restroom.

AAA TripTik Mobile app is a friend-of-mine app that has a variety of options for road trips. It provides with Gas station locations and its current fuel prices. It helps you find hotels, restaurants and attractions in your way. Also, it has an incorporated GPS that describes the path to your desire location.
This is a free app available for everyone with a smartphone. It will let you become a member of AAA just by a click and will save all of your membership information for a faster request on road assistance. It has an effective way of approaching its intended audience, who are drivers that would be traveling and need any assistance finding the address, gas stations or road service.
This app is available for anyone, but the people that will download it, are because they have a car and plan to take a trip somewhere. In my opinion, the part that really catch my attention from this app is finding the closest gas location and knowing the price because many times we just stop and put gas in our way home, but with this app we would be able to know beforehand which one is cheaper and how to get there.

USA Today AutoPilot is a great app that helps you gather everything for your trip. It provides the most timely and relevant information about your flight and itinerary. Organizes the details of the trip. USA Today has the latest world and U.S. news, this app targets business and common travelers that must have everything organize from hotel to car rental, it provides travel articles and blogs. There are many apps for travelers that are related with travel agencies, or hotels. In my opinion the USA Today is trying to appeal to the travel audience, and it has develop a great app, but they have such a broad topics in USA Today that they should have created a bigger application that could target a broader audience.

The application I chose is the Bank of America app. This is a very helpful app because it enables people to simply manage their account from their mobile device. They can check their balance, make wire transfers, make payments, and deposits. This app fulfills the needs/wants for people by providing convenience and easy accessibility. In addition, it also helps protect people from fraud because they can get notifications when a payment has been made and can see the exact time and place of where the particular payment took place. The market for this application is relatively large because it is for all the people who are banking with Bank of America. This is a great application because people can see all transactions instantly and do not need to extra go to the bank for a printout.
Other “friend of mine” applications I would like to address include, Fandango, Ipic, ESPN, or other banking apps, such as, Wells Fargo and American Express. All of these applications benefit customers and provide easy to use technology. Each of these applications is used a lot by the public and have widespread appeal due to the convenience that is provided. For example, Fandango is a mobile movie ticket application that enables users to buy tickets, check show times, watch trailers and find nearby movie theaters directly from their mobile device. This encourages customers to download the application because it benefits them by enabling them to easily access movie show times/availability instantly. Each of these apps does a great job catering to their intended target audience because they all are successful and each have a particular target market. For example, all people are encouraged from their bank to download their mobile app that they provide. The banks target audiences are their customers and I would also recommend others to download the application because it is very beneficial and handy.

I selected the mobile app Charmin Sit or Squat to critique because I believe it is an innovative and interesting app. Its purpose is to allow users to view the nearest bathrooms and rate the cleanliness based on their experience. I personally believe it gains the trust of consumers and it is a great marketing technique. The app serves its purpose because there are many men and women who are concerned about the cleanliness of a restroom and in many cases they will leave a restroom if it does not meet their expectations. This app makes it easier for the people using it when needing a clean restroom. Besides ratings you are allowed to rate the restroom, either able to sit if it is clean or squat if that restroom is not up to expectations. Another reason the app is great is because they are not requiring you to purchase anything but they do require an email in order to comment or review. They also build trust and create brand awareness by providing their application to everyone. Its target market would be everyone 18 and older because on the app it requires age verification. Also everyone uses toilet paper but the people purchasing it are adults such as parents and college students. Their marketing strategy is effective because of the trust they create with their customers. Charmin’s price of toilet paper pack tends to be higher than the average toilet paper packs because of the higher quality they market. Their higher pricing and marketing application implement that they are about higher quality. They meet the needs of the consumer by providing a better product and building relationships with consumers and perceiving themselves as trustworthy. People will constantly be reminded of Charmin when purchasing toilet paper.

One of the greatest self-help app that I feel addresses friend of mine is the Google maps app. Google is well known for being a search engine but with the invention of smartphones, applications came along and they since have joined by creating apps. Google is the most used search engine, which provides you with almost any information you would like to search. There are other search engines such as Bing but they have not reached the same stature as Google. The application Google maps was first introduced with the iPhone. The app is now downloadable for virtually any smart phone. This application is free and serves a great purpose to its users because of all the functions it serves. If you are searching a restaurant you can type the name in the app and it will find the nearest location. It will also give you step-by-step directions to allow you to reach your destination. The application also allows you to view traffic on the streets and this is convenient thus allowing people to take alternative routes. The application is basically a free GPS (Global Positioning System) and can be simply downloaded through the app store. The app carries to the intended audience because everyone with smartphone that downloads the app will constantly be aware they are using a Google app that provides great and accurate information. It builds a relationship with people because they can trust them when searching for directions or searching something through their search engine. It builds the brand and improves their credibility through their applications and service engine.

A mobile application is a process in which software is downloaded into a low powered device, such as a cells phone, or iPad. Today mobile devices are everywhere and there is some applications that help make are lives more simple.
The self-help mobile application I found interesting was “Finding a College Dentist.” This application when downloaded to your mobile devices can find a Colgate dentist closes to you, by using GPS technology. Colgate toothpaste has been around for years, and is known and trusted by many. Colgate has a mobile application that goes into inner cities to find dentist and hygienist to take care of kids unable to afford dental care. This mobile app is free to download on iPhone and Android. They have several versions ranging from 1.0-1.3. In May 2012, 500-1000 people downloaded this app, and in December 2012 they had 1000+ people that downloaded this app. It is rated 3.3 stars, as mentioned in previews because the GPS and screen shots to show you where you are going used to be slow and wasn’t always accurate. However, it now has tips on how to find a dentist no matter where you live, related videos, and articles that can be downloading. V1.3-2.12 MB free downloads
This application plays on Colgate good name brand and one would think that Colgate dentists are the best. This application also uses different languages so people all over the world can use this app. Colgate also has another related app called “Colgate Smile” that talks about products and services that you can download. One of the things you can download is pictures of you and your family with your “Cologate Smile. Colgate uses these pictures to promote their brand and promote good oral hygiene.
What I liked about the application is it appears user friendly; you can search for a dentist by location, or by name and/or specialization. It also has a support network if you have problems downloading applications or the app itself. Colgate Smile also has family components where you can upload pictures of family members smiling. However, I am somewhat skeptical about the various versions this application has, and it seems to be in the infancy/stages with only 1000+ downloads since December 2012. Hopefully it has grown since then! Also, when researching the application a lot of instructions are in different languages, with little English translations. This also makes me wonder if this application was developed outside the Untied States. The stagey behind the applications is good, aligning Colgate dentist in the area. In addition, it also keeps Colgate toothpaste and products in the front of the consumer mind, a name known and trusted for years.
Finally, even though this is a helpful application, it would not be something I personally would download on my mobile device. Reason why is because the dentist has to be under my insurance and I have moved from state to state. I would probably choose one out of my Dental plan who is in close contact to my home or job depending on where I moved.

The mobile app I choose was Columbia IPhone Knot app. The needs and wants the app is attempting to fill is for the average camper, first time camper, or someone just getting into experiencing the outdoors. The app shows how to tie knots that would hold best for different applications. Often people only know how to tie their shoe lice and this knot is not the best for outdoor uses so this app shows you what knots to tie. The market they are trying to target is people who like the outdoors and people that are just getting into the outdoors that need help with tying knots. There is a lot of people that want to experience the outdoors and have no idea what knot to tie to a tree or to their tent this app helps customers find out what knot they should tie.

Baby Time IPhone app by Vanderbilt Center for Women Health address friend of mine marketing. The app provides value because their app helps pregnant women being first time pregnancy or not. It helps them by timing your contractions, gives you the quickest GPS route to your hospital, a contact list to notify family and friends, and gives you FAQ’s on what to do if your water breaks, if you are having false labor and a check list of what to bring to the hospital.

The app does have a widespread appeal for pregnant women because it guides them on what to do and gives them tools to make their life easier when time to give labor. It is assessable and very convent for the user to have all of their frequently asked questions and concerns about pregnancy at their fingertips. It also allows you to put a list together of everyone that needs to be contacted when going into labor so you do not have to message everyone individually. This app caters to their target audience excellent they provide everything that one needs when about to go into labor quickest route to hospital, contact list, contraction timer, and FAQ’s on common questions. The Vanderbilt Center becomes a best friend to pregnant women because it helps make their most worrying movement a little less stressful and helps answer questions and common concerns.

I recently ran into the innovator for a new cool app called WAIT BUDDY. I was not so interested in this app until I was able to get a first hand look and feel for launching an app that would be a local and eventually possibly national success. I was able through my own profession design and produce positive content advertising in the form of personal credit card sized app use reminder cards that will be distributed to all the patrons at the local resteraunts in the Delray Alantic Ave Area. This public social hotspot for dining and entertainment can be a great way to introduce the opportunities for WAITBUDDY to provide ease of time management options, especially since no one really likes to wait in ANY line for any given amount of time. WAITBUDDY seeks to minimize if not completely eliminate this painfully disturbing reality by inviting a free download ( AT LEAST INITIALLY) of their self-help app.
The needs/ wants this app is attempting to fill is, as mentioned before, eliminate waiting at busy resteraunts and therefore making the dining experience more enjoyable as well as help the resteraunt cut down on too much traffic, allowing ease of service for all the customers, Also, it could cut down on noise levels around and within the resteraunt, providing a more peaceful serene atmosphere for the diners where they can actually hear each other talk. “Hey Buddy!NO lines NO waiting” should be their slogan / catchphrase. It is something familiar with most people and it sounds great! When your referring to “Friend of mine marketing, please tell me how much more friendly can you get when your Buddy helps you so you don’t need to wait?
Who are their target markets? All those who are going to attend an eatery with a host or hostess who takes names and seats patrons in order of arrival. If you eat, go out on the town to dine and like to meet friends at the nearest Starbucks, which is usually located near a mutually interesting sit down resteraunt, this app is a perfect opportunity to make the evening pleasantly productive and less irritating. Anyone who finds they will need to wait at restaurants, banks, car washes, auto service shops, government offices and any place where there’s a wait. You have better things to do than stand in line or sit and wait. Wouldn’t you rather go do something worthwhile and come back when it’s your turn? WaitBuddy lets you do just that.

WaitBuddy is a FREE mobile app that allows you to get a virtual ticket by checking-in at any place where there’s a wait. No need to give away your phone number, or even spell your name. You can go for a walk, do some shopping, or grab a cup of coffee. It’s your call. WaitBuddy keeps you updated on your estimated remaining wait, and allows you to stay in touch with the host while you’re away. When your turn is up, you get a notification through your smartphone. WaitBuddy holds your spot, it’s that simple!
Obvious real time value is the time you would normally be stuck at the restaurant is now being saved, spent or managed under your control!
This app can have real traction through friends who go out together and end up sharing the app with each other. Widespread appeal will build as people find themselves in an overly populated area or involved with a lot of “waiting” type activity or business requirements. This app can possible extend to uses beyond the original intention but would first need to be in consistent use by Wait Buddy advocates.
Does the host or hostess cater to the need of the next patron? Well this app just improves the process of servicing the customer and even though it is customer led service, it ultimately builds the reputation of the businesses which participates in the promotion of this app. Will there be a Wait Buddy icon next to the restaurants who offer use of the app on the internet? Will those who dine out or wait anywhere for that matter chose one place over the other because they do offer the service of Wait Buddy? It may not be a determining factor but it sure may sway some over to in their direction more often than not. If I were you I wouldn’t wait another minute! I would go to WaitBuddy.com and download this app now.

Being able to manage my money from my phone is something that I like because it is helpfulness. I chose the Navy Federal Credit Union App to evaluate and look at its features. This banking app allows me to deposit a check without actually going to a bank. In addition to that, it allows me to bank conveniently wherever I go. It is safe and secure, which in return allows me to check my accounts, pay bills, and transfer money anywhere in just a few seconds. This app is specifically for Navy Federal customers and anyone who wants to join. It is very easy set up all you need is your access number and a password. Once the user creates this, they have access to all their accounts and information. This app eliminates the need of customers physically coming inside the bank just to transfer money to another account or view their banking activity. Another need it eliminates is for users having to sit at a computer to fill out a credit card or loan application. When I used this portion of the app, I was approved for my first credit card in a matter of 24 hours without having to go and sit down with a bank employee.

Navy Federal app has a medium sized market because this app can only be used by its members. Even though there are many other competitors in the industry with Navy Federal such as Wells Fargo, Chase, and Capital One, the mobile banking app is becoming more popular in the midst of these high-volume banking companies.

Another “self-help” app that addresses “friend-of-mine” is the weather app. Day in and day out millions of people all over the world use this app to check the forecast for the day or the rest of the week in their countries and cities. It uses real time value because it allows its users to get weather “on the go”. Before phones had access to weather apps, people would sit at home and watch the news on the TV, or just hope the weather would stay nice outside for whatever they had planned. The weather channel app is very popular among its users because of how user friendly it is. It appeals to people by letting them customize their cities weather in just a matter of seconds. However, instead of entering and searching for a city, the weather channel app lets you search by the location of your phone. If the user travels a lot, the app automatically updates the location and displays the weather of your location. This app caters to its users because it requires less work than picking up a remote to turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper to check today’s forecast.

Of the apps mentioned in this blog post, I feel that the Clorox myStain app embodies the best use of “Friend-of-Mine” marketing.

myStain is an app marketed by Clorox to users who frequently end up with stains on their clothing. The app describes different methods of stain removal, including solutions that employ water, club soda, hairspray, chalk, and – yes – a variety of Clorox products. The app can really be used by anybody who experiences a stain, and isn’t limited to a particular market.

This app excels in “Friend-of-Mine” marketing in several different ways. First, the app offers tried-and-true methods for stain removal or treatment, using easily accessible solutions. Second, the app adds an element of charity, as Clorox is offering seemingly “free” solutions to every day problems. The genius in this app, however, is twofold: the app not only puts Clorox’s name front and center, but every solution suggests one of myriad Clorox products to finish or enhance the stain removal process. They’re basically saying, “Hey – we’ll get you started. Now buy our stuff to finish the job.” Brilliant!

I have personally used this app several times over the past couple years. I can attest to the effectiveness of both the stain removal solutions and their marketing, as the app did prompt me to purchase new/additional Clorox products.

Another “Friend-of-Mine” type that I use frequently is called GroceryIQ. The app was created by an independent developer to serve as a grocery list. GroceryIQ was purchased by Coupons.com back in 2009, and became “GroceryIQ, from Coupons.com.” The acquisition was a very smart move by Coupons.com, and they’ve made the most of it since then.

GroceryIQ is a grocery list app that is very feature-rich. The app allows typed or barcode-scanned entry of list items. It searches an online directory to help the user find the right item to add to their list. It allows syncing between devices and the GroceryIQ.com website. List items can be added on the website as well. Most importantly as it relates to this article, GroceryIQ integrates digital coupons from Coupons.com to be used at many grocery, convenience, and big-box stores.

Coupons.com was brilliant to reach out to the market reached by GroceryIQ. First, all of GroceryIQ’s users can benefit from the integration of Coupons.com digital coupons. Additionally, every time a user opens GroceryIQ, they are faced with the logo of Coupons.com, reminding the user that the site (and service) are there for their use. Finally, like many other “Friend-of-Mine” apps, the app shows a degree of charity, by offering a free service to just about any user.

Charmins sit and squat app is a very creative app. Charmin is not directly trying to sell us anything or even market anything to us. By this I mean that Charmin does not gain anything from giving us bathroom locations or ratings. The need they are trying to fill is the need to know where the closest bathroom is. But Charmin made this app a little more interesting by being able to rate the restrooms as well. Like restaurants will try to fill your need of food Charmin is filling our needs with restrooms even though we do not pay Charmin anything to use the restrooms. This is interesting because what Charmin is trying to do is to gain trust with us and make us remember that Charmin was there when we were in need.
Charmin produces toilet paper and that makes them in the market of everybody. Everybody needs toilet paper. The main thing people think about when buying toilet paper is price I would think and then maybe how soft it is etc. By introducing themselves to us through this app, Charmin is hoping we will remember them next time we shop and maybe chose them over another brand. They are trying to establish brand loyalty and maybe make us ignore the price.

A self -help app that is widely popular right now is Uber. Uber connects you to drivers nearby like a taxi service. It has its own certified drivers where everybody can sign up but of course you have to pass Ubers requirements before you can be a certified driver. You make money, but Uber is also making a small profit off of every customer you drive. The number of users increases every day and is available in new cities every week. It is now used in 70 different cities and there new drivers as well as new users every day.
Uber is cheaper to use than a standard taxi and through the app you will always now when drivers are close and how much you have to pay. Uber does not allow any tipping of their drivers and customers can rate every driver. If the drivers rating is too low, Uber will kick the driver out of Uber. The cars also have to be relatively new and in good condition to be able to use as a Uber cab. This is a brilliant idea and because Uber has such high standards of its drivers and also the possibility of rating everyone it makes it very appealing. Their market is everybody that needs transportation and that is a very big market. At the same time they are expanding their market all the time by adding more drivers in different cities.

One of my favorite “Friend-of-Mine” apps is the Starbucks App. With this app, customers have the opportunity to find the nearest Starbucks and once you’ve found it, you can actually use your phone to pay for your food and beverages in the store. By using this the app, you can register your Starbucks Reward Card (or a gift card that you received) and the app will keep track of how much money you have left on the card. So, if a customer was to hypothetically lose their Starbucks Reward Card, then they could still use the app on their iPhone or Android to pay with the card. Not only this, but the app also allows customers to add money to their Starbucks Reward Cards and leave digital tips to the baristas. Customers can also track their rewards points, and they can email “gifts” to friends and family members using the value on their rewards card. Additionally, the app allows customers the opportunity to receive special offers and specials that are only for app users and updates on the Pick of The Week. I think this is a great app for Starbucks customers, because it gives them so much convenience. They don’t have to guess what the balance on their card is; they can simply just check the app and it’s right there. Similar to what was mentioned in the Webinar, Starbucks did not create this app to attract new customers; it is meant to maintain customer loyalty and add convenience to customers’ experience.

Another “Friend-of-Mine” app that I use is the Food Network In The Kitchen app. By using this app, fans can gain exclusive access to their favorite Food Network chefs’ recipes on their iPhone, Android, or tablet. Users can search recipes by the chef or by the type of dish they’re looking for. Not only can users save their favorite recipes from celebrity chefs such as Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, and even Guy Fieri, but they can also add their own personal recipes and save them digitally on the app so that they will never get lost or damaged. This app definitely has wide-spread appeal, because if is quickly accessible on your smart phones; for example, if a mom is hard at work cooking in the kitchen and needs an additional quick recipe, she can simply look one up on this app, and begin making the dish. This app caters to it’s target audience very well. Most people that love to cook also love the many celebrity chefs that appear on the Food Network, and with this app, those same people have the opportunity to get recipes and tips from their favorite chefs.

A mobile self-help app that I frequently use is an Apple app called AppShopper (which unfortunately, is no longer available in the App Store but a similiar app called “App Price Drops by Apple Sliced” is free to download in the App Store). The needs and wants that the app attempts to fulfill is to alert app consumers of when there are price drops, increases, and updates available for all apps in the App Store. All of the information that is available in the App Store about each app is available in AppShopper yet, AppShopper provides additional information about the App’s Activity by listing the dates in which each specific app has been added to the App Store, when it has received an update and the exact prices it has dropped from or increased to (for example it will say March 23, 2014 $2.99 -> Free to indicate a decrease in price on a specific date). In addition, specific apps can be added to a wish list so that the buyer can receive updates of the apps’ activities and all of the apps can be sorted by popularity, top grossing, and what’s new. Therefore, consumers can save money by purchasing apps when they are listed at their lowest prices. For example, I got the Monopoly app for $0.99 cents which is now listed at $6.99 because I put it on my wish list and received a notification of when it went down in price so I could get it for that price. The market for this app is anyone who owns an Apple device that purchases apps and is interested in purchasing them for the lowest prices that the app owner lists it for who don’t have the time to track the app’s pricing activity by themself.
Another self-help app that addresses the “friend-of-mine” marketing that is not included in the blog or guest comments is the Auction Calculator app, which helps people who sell their items through major online selling sites such as eBay, Amazon, Half.com, and the acquirer site Paypal, calculate their net profit after these sites charge their usage fees. The seller simply enters in information such as the listing price of the item and how much it will cost to ship it, and the Auction Calculator determines the fees that are charged by each site based on the item’s selling price and breaks down each charge inclusive of the information provided by the seller to determine the net profit so the seller can determine whether they will earn a net profit or loss and know what fees they will be charged prior to listing their item(s). The app provides real-time value by instantly calculating these figures which saves consumers time by not having to try to list the item first to obtain this information or having to do these calculations on their own, which would also take more time. This app has real traction and widespread appeal as it will help sellers small and large determine the most cost effective venue to list their items, save time in trying to figure out if they will experience a net profit or loss prior to putting items up for sale, and potentially prevent net loss as they can use the calculator to figure out what specific listing price they could list their item for to determine the exact net profit they desire. Due to all of these benefits, it caters well to its targeted audience as it helps take the guesswork out of the cost of selling.

There are thousands of apps now for iPhone, androids etc. Mobile apps are becoming a tool that most people use now for social media, fitness, food, shopping, games and multiple “self Help” apps like Clorox my stain on Charmin’s Sit or Squat. In regards to Charmin’s sit or Squat app I think that is genius. I’ve never heard about that app until reading this article however I am going to download it. This mobile app fills the need to want to find a decent restroom to use when you’re in a remote area or out at the bars and would rather not go into the frightening stalls. In my opinion I think this app had two big markets, one people who go out to bars or nightclubs and desperately want to find a nice bathroom and two mothers with small children who need to change their babies’ diapers. Other apps that I think address “friend of mine” marketing is Urban Spoon. I love to eat out but sometimes when you don’t know the area or the good places to eat urban spoon is very useful. You shake your iPhone and the urban spoon slot machine will pick a good restaurant for you to try. I think Open Table is another great app, its target audience would again be people who love to eat out and want quick easy reservation plans. Open table app makes free reservations at over 13,000 restaurants, also there is an incentive of using this app over picking up the phone and calling. On open table app you can receive reward points redeemable dining cheques good at any open table restaurant.

1. I selected Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s baby-time app. By creating this app Vanderbilt has provided a “self-help” mobile app for expecting mothers. Expecting mothers can call their provider with one click of a button, time contractions, provides a GPS map with directions to the hospital delivery entrance, automatically contact family and friends that were added to a contact list, and get answers to frequently asked questions by others in the same situation. It is not only a helpful app that takes a bit of stress off of expecting mothers, it’s also a way to make sure that expecting mothers will remember this hospital not only for this delivery, but for any future children they may plan to have.

2. What other “self help” apps do you feel address “friend-of-mine” marketing that are not included in the blog or guest comments

Oakley Surf Report
a) This app allows Oakley’s surfing customers to get the information they need for surfing. This includes surf height, swell direction, tides, and a two day weather forecast.

b) This app has traction and widespread appeal because there are quite a few surfers in the U.S. According to Statistic Brail (http://www.statisticbrain.com/surfing-statistics/) 1,736,000 people in the U.S. as of 2014 surf at least once a year. This means there are lots of people who may have never purchased Oakley may download this app and everyone who downloads it may find it so useful they will share the app with their fellow surfer friends.

c) This app is targeted toward only one section of Oakley’s target consumers. Oakley markets often to sporty personality types and this app is catered to their Surfer customers and prospects. Since these customers and prospects are constantly seeing the Oakley during their surf planning there is a good chance they will think of Oakley when looking for glasses that are great for their active lifestyle.

Zipcar
a) This app provides anyone who is looking to rent a car or who has rented a Zipcar a better experience. For those who want to rent a Zipcar they can go through the reservation process, locate nearby cars, and contact customer support. For those who have rented a Zipcar they are able to honk the horn directly from their phone so that they can locate the car and lock and unlock doors with the click of a button.

b) Zipcars are becoming quite popular mainly because of the convenience they offer, this app is surely to spread because it makes an already simple process even easier. Anyone who uses a Zipcar or is considering using one will likely download this app in hopes of going through the process in a fast and simple way. Consumers don’t want to break their heads calling or going online to try and rent vehicles when they know just how easy it is to do through an app. The best part is that consumers will promote the app if they are happy with it by referring their friends, family, and colleagues.

c) This app is targeting Zipcar’s target audience which includes consumers who want to get around and need a vehicle to do so. These consumers are looking for the easiest process and Zipcar fills that desire through this app.

Is an online tool that allows Twitter and Facebook users to do a little spring cleaning on their social feeds. After connecting to their Facebook or Twitter accounts to Ajax Social Wipes tool, the tool will automatically rounds up all the pages or profiles that you have ‘Liked’ or ‘Followed’. The Facebook option aggregates all ‘Liked’ Pages for easy cleaning, while for Twitter the Ajax Social Wipes tool detects unwanted spam, flushing all bots from your account within minutes. This awesome and innovative brand utility, helps the brand provide a real service to its audience with no strings attached. Everyone at one point or another wished for something to clean up all the cluster they have built up in their social media accounts. But up till now, you usually have had to spend countless time going thru all that cluster. This tool helps fill that need and consumers have wanted something like this for a long time.

Since the tool is designed to clean up social news feeds single-handedly, it effectively communicates how Ajax multi-purpose wipes can cut through old dirt and stains with ease. Even though it’s a household product, the market for cleaning wipes not subject to just the households. Everyone will be able to use the products for anything kind of cleaning.

Lowe’s Fix in Six-
Is not so much an app, but it still falls under “friend-of-mine” Marketing. #lowesfixinsix uses stop-motion animation to give handy DIY lessons — unscrewing a stripped screw, taking off a stubborn sticker, cleaning a dirty cookie sheet, etc.
It allows consumers to engage on their terms. In terms of the home improvement tips, Vine provides an easy way to bring them to life and make them share able and fun to watch
Vine offers a quick yet extremely effective way for brands to reach wider, socially engaged audiences. The clips offer innovative ways to get quick household jobs done, allowing anyone to feel like the handyman or handy-woman.

The app that I chose to critique was the Clorox MyStain app. Mainly because anyone can use this app. After all, who doesn’t get the occasional stain on their shirt from time-to-time (and of course usually happens at the time when you’re supposed to be looking your best).

This concept of “Friend-of-Mine”marketing is truly genius. Rather instead of hard selling consumers to purchase their products or follow their brand, they are looking to empower users with helpful tips that affect their day-to-day lives and with a soft sell of how their product fills the void.

In speaking about the Clorox MyStain app, which applies to everyone out there, the app offers users with quick tools on how to clean up a stain on their clothes while on the run. Most users in the business world could truly benefit from this app. Imagine waking up one morning with on your way to work for a big meeting and you spill coffee on your shirt. You don’t have enough time to run home and change, so you open up your easy to use MyStain app for a quick guide on how to clean up your shirt. You proceed on with your day with the coffee stain gone and the next time your buying cleaning supplies, you’re inclined to pick a Clorox product because they came to your rescue before the big meeting.

One app that really helps every time I’m up in NY for work is the NYC Subway Real-time app. Every time your in NYC, this is the app that you want to have. It is paid app at only $2.99, but offers some great benefits when traveling the subway system through the City. The app definitely provides real-time value to give you the quickest train route from your originating point to your ending destination. It even takes a step further to give you the exact time when your train is going to hit the station (in minutes and seconds). It’s one thing to know when the train is “scheduled” to arrive in the station and another to actually know the exact moment when it will arrive, which makes the app so appealing. And finally, this app does very much cater to its target audience who are those people who ride public transportation through the boroughs and Long Island because it gives you the exact route and time it will take, based on current train times, to get you to your final destination.

It always happens that I go out wearing my favorite pair of pants or a nice t-shirt and I spill food or any drink on them. For me, a great “Friend-of-Mine” app is Clorox’s MyStain. It proposes the idea that no matter where you are, if stain happens you have tips and tricks on your fingertips to remove the stain. It guides you with whatever you have to do in order for the stain to disappear. I believe they market everyone that cares about their clothing, but more to mothers because they are usually the ones taking care of all these situations.

Another “Friend-of-Mine” app that is very useful for me is 365Scores. This app enables you to create your own sport channel from their scores, standings, sports news, tweets and highlights. You can get the lineups of the game, updates in real time, and also watch the video of the goal 5 minutes after it happens. This application gives you information about five different sports, football, American football, tennis, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, and volleyball. It provides you information about over 10,000 teams, and over 1,000 leagues. They target any sport fan from all around the world. This app helps you pull everything together and it is very easy to manage.

I found Charmin’s Sit or Squat app is a very interesting. There has been so many times that myself or someone in my car has needed to use the restroom but we dint know where the closet one was or if it was clean.Charmin’s Sit or Squat targets the someone who is constantly out of their own home, and runs into situations where they need to find a local restroom. I believe this app will really help Charmin because when families are shopping and see Charmin they are going to think back to the time they where in a emergency and was able to use the app to find a clean local restroom.

A frame-of-mind app that i use on a daily bases is Around me. This app is great to find local banks/atm, bars, coffee shops, deals, gas stations, hospitals, hotels, movie theaters and lots more. I use this app almost everyday to find places in the area that i wouldn’t normally see by just driving around.

Being a collegiate basketball player, I chose to use the Nike+ Basketball app for the iPhone. It measures what I do on the court. Throughout my workout, it tracks my moves through my shoes and I can then upload my session to my iPhone and it will tell me what I did, what I can improve, and it will also motivate me to improve in upcoming sessions. There are also features such as activity history, showcase your skills, all access, compare and share, and connect and share. App users can connect with other players, coaches, and pros as an added bonus that the app has to offer. This app is attempting to fill my needs to track myself and improve my game as a basketball player. It works exclusively with Nike shoes containing the latest Nike+ Sport Technology. This app is on the market for basketball players and coaches looking to perfect their moves and all-around game. It can be used for players of all ages that are serious about getting better on the court.

I also think apps such as the Blackboard mobile app and Urban Spoon app are great “self help” apps that address “friend-of-mine” marketing. I downloaded the mobile app version of Blackboard through the iShark app. This app is great for students that use Blackboard through their college. If I am out running around, I can easily access my classes to see my upcoming assignments, grades, and discussions. I can also have notifications sent to my iPhone telling me when certain things are due. This app is amazing and has plenty of real-time value for all students using Blackboard. I couldn’t think of anything more helpful to keep me up-to-date with my classes. It is applicable and practical and can be used widespread for anyone with Blackboard. It does everything it needs to in order to cater to students across the nation that are using Blackboard. Next, Urban Spoon is an app that shows places to eat. It discovers new places that are nearby to the user. Users can also make reservations and see what their friends like through the app. They can also build and review dining history, compare restaurants, and see ratings and reviews. This app is extremely helpful for anyone looking for a place to eat, especially if they are in a neighborhood they may have never been in. It can be used anywhere and for anyone. It does exactly what it is supposed to do and more. I would compare this app to another amazing app, Around Me. Around Me does the same thing but has more categories other than food, such as entertainment, hotels, gas stations, malls, and many more. Apps like Urban Spoon, Around Me, and Blackboard are very helpful in today’s world!

One of the major things that is so attractive about the above apps listed is the price of the apps. The apps are free to download and update quite often to keep users happy and up-to-date. The fact that these apps are free is a major selling point.

The application I have chosen to critique is the Wells Fargo app. This application has a very large market and appeals to a wide range of customers as long as they are banking with Wells Fargo. For example, a very important businessman or your average college student can use this application. If I am a businessman expecting a wire transfer into my account I can log in into my account and check if the transaction has been completed in a matter of seconds. On the other hand, if I am your average college kid that went out on a crazy night drinking and happen to forget how much I have spent, I can quickly access my account the morning after and look at the damages. People can do all sorts of things with this application, they can manage their account by transferring money, making payments, checking their balances, and making deposits. The application is very simple and easy to use. All you need is to connect your bank account to a specific username and password. Another great feature of this application that makes my life easier is the fact that I do not need to drive to bank, wait in line, and talk to some random stranger about my personal business. This is my favorite part of the application. It provides the privacy I want and it is very time efficient. Overall, I would definitely recommend downloading this application if you are a Wells Fargo Customer.
Another application that I would love to talk about is the Blackboard app. This application is every students dream come true. The fact that I am able to access my class from my phone makes my life so much easier. Not only can I look up all the assignments due in each one of my classes, but I can also complete the assignments through my phone. As if that wasn’t enough to completely satisfy us, we can program the application to send us notifications when an assignment is close to being due. Thanks to the Blackboard application I have not missed a deadline on an assignment since I downloaded this app. The application is set up in a very quick step-by-step process. To begin with, the application looks up your university and there is no need to create a username. Once, the application knows what university you attend, all you have to do is use your school username and password and it automatically finds the classes you are enrolled in. This application is the perfect tool to become a successful student. If you are a college student that is constantly using blackboard and have not downloaded this application, please do yourself a favor and download it ASAP.

Many companies are turning to mobile applications to further increase and reshape their marketing. Friend-of-Mine marketing allows companies to reach their target market and expand their customer base through downloadable ‘self-help’ apps. Looking through the apps on my own phone, I did not realize how much I use friend-of-mine apps. An app I use frequently is called Urban Spoon. I love to find new restaurants to eat and enjoying new experiences with my friends, and Urban Spoon helps me to do that. Urban Spoon allows me to browse restaurants based on my current location which is very helpful when I want to go out but I cannot decide where to go and I am tired of all the places I have tried. I can change locations to search from if I am planning a weekend away and want to find good restaurants before I get there. Urban Spoon also helps me find restaurants based on the type of cuisine I might be craving or based on the price I am willing to pay for the night. The cuisine categories and price distinction might be my favorite feature on the app; sometimes I am looking for something easy and inexpensive whereas sometimes I want a nicer dinner that I do not mind paying more for my meal. The app also shows me the ‘hottest’ restaurants in my area and the newest places near me. The app also has a category for Urban Spoon’s ‘top picks’ which lists their top rated restaurants. Each individual feature of the app, no matter what category you find a restaurant from, gives you all the information you need to know about the place you want to go. One category specifically finds places that take reservations. There are also categories that show you restaurants that have won competitions and big nominations and critics top choices. You can also read reviews from other people that use the app that share information about each restaurant. The app also includes a feature that allows the user to ‘check-in’ to eat restaurant he/she eats at, then it compiles it into a unique way to compare your dining trends; it is called your ‘dineline.’ The app not only gives you information about the restaurant of your choosing, it goes above and beyond expectations. Once you have chosen a restaurant, a phone number and address is listed, price rating, relative location, the restaurant’s unique features, types of food served, a link to their website, Facebook page, menu, and user reviews. It also allows you to write a review, upload a photo, or add it to your favorites list or wishlist. If you have not guessed it yet, this app targets food lovers like me and many people out there.
Urban Spoon’s success with friend-of-mine marketing is not the only one. Many big companies are branching out and marketing self-help apps as well. Wells Fargo Bank and many other banks have created an app that allows users to manage their accounts and even deposit checks through the mobile app. Nike has created an app that allows users to track how far you run and map the specific location. You can even post your run to social media or keep track of your progress through the app. Some places like Panera and Starbucks are using apps to extend their market to people who want something even more convenient. Users can place order through to app or find locations near them. Friend-of-Mine apps are very useful for users and every company should think about creating an app in this increasingly technologically dependent lifestyle.

Friend-of-mine applications really look towards making the lives of the people who put the application to use easier. There are many applications out their that offer help finding restaurants, gas stations with certain gas prices, or which movie will be playing at what theater next Saturday. Never had I heard of an application that offered insight on what public restrooms to use, or what public restrooms to not use; although, I find that Charmin’s Sit or Squat application is so helpful. I am surprised I have not heard of it before. Charmin is makes it clear that they are attempting to fulfill the needs and wants of a clean public restroom for people around the world. On the Sit or Squat website you can find that Charmin states, “Clean public restrooms can be hard to find. Until now. We put public restrooms on the map. Literally. So the next time you’ve got to go, you’ll know where to go. And once you’ve experienced a restroom, you can add and share your experience and honest opinion to help others while on the go” (Charmin, 2014). When you are in places that you are not familiar with, it is hard to find a place that may be comfortable, or clean – Charmin makes it possible to see the public restrooms’ ratings, as well as allow you the ability to make a review yourself to state whether or not you are satisfied with your encounter of that public restroom. The target market for Charmin could be virtually anyone that is looking towards finding a clean, functional bathroom that is outside of his or her home, workplace, etc. I think this is a great app that can come in handy when you are on the go and need to go.

Another friend-of-mine application would be Jawbone’s UP. Jawbone has created a wristband and application for the wristband that works together hand-in-hand. The brand states that, “The new UP App is still the best way to know more about how you sleep, move and eat. The Up App’s Insight Engine ties it all together, helping you find hidden connections and patterns between your daily and nightly activities” (Jawbone, 2014). After purchasing the wristband, you will download the application onto your smartphone and you will be able to see results right away. You are able to wear the UP wristband almost everywhere so you are able to see, for example, how many steps you took that day, how many calories that you burned during your workout, or how many hours of deep or light sleep you are getting each night. On the application, you are able to set goals for yourself, and monitor your progress. Jawbone is really targeting people who want to live a healthy lifestyle and making it possible for them to set goals for themselves everyday, week, month or year. The main target market for the UP wristband and application would be, as I mentioned, people who want to live a healthy lifestyle and looking towards bettering themselves and their habits (eating, working out, sleeping, etc.).

For any football lover one of the great friend-of-mine mobile applications would have to be the NFL mobile app. Having that ability tom follow your favorite team where ever you are is a great thing. The application allows you to get up to date information around the league. The need and the want the mobile app is attempting to fill is the get more and more people following the not only their favorite but also the league and players. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry. The NFL is gaining so much popularity. They have games in other countries. This mobile app allows you to do just about everything. From stopping for gear to buying tickets for games and even having up to date score for games around the NFL.
I can say this, the NFL really tries to market to all sports lovers. You have some women that are more in to the game then some men. They even try and market oversea in other countries. The game is getting more and more popular then it was 20 years ago. It’s so popular that they also have a NFL Fantasy mobile app. Allowing you to get inside the game and have a friendly competition against other NFL lovers.

Other mobile apps That I would have to say have that friend-of-mine. Would have to be apps like eBay, amazon and even craigslist mobile apps. These apps allow buyers and sellers access to a database where ever you are. Aw the beauty of being able to shop or sell anything no matter where you are is a great idea. People want eCommerce on mobiles and all the conveniences that retailers can provide. Such convenience generally comes down to mobile applications, or apps, used by consumers on their tablets and smartphones. These apps provided real time value because they use timeline for items to be sold. When you find an item you like you can take a look at its details. These usually include a few pictures and a description, including location. If you have any questions about the item you can simply open up a dialogue box to ask the seller directly. These chats can happen in real-time, so no waiting around. Then, decide on a price and make an offer. It’s that simple. You can also agree to pay by cash or PayPal as both are supported. It’s easier than ever to buy and sell through the mobile app, either locally or nationally. So feel free to find your favorite mobile app. The mobile app market is growing by the minute.

There are many companies that have begun engaging in friend-of-mine marketing by creating self-help apps. As a moderately addicted smartphone user, I first reflected on my own apps to see if I had been using one without realizing it. One app that I am consistently using that displays friend-of-mine marketing qualities is the IMDb application. I am a movie-lover and enjoy watching movies in my spare time whether at home or in theaters. When watching movies I constantly find myself thinking a character looks familiar and wonder what other movies they have been in that I may have seen. Using the IMDb app I can look up a movie or an actor and be directed to their biography and film history. As the world’s most popular internet movie database, IMDb is known for these capabilities. However, the IMDb app allows you to do other things besides access movie information. On the app, you can find nearby theaters with location services and view a listing of show times. From there you are able to purchase tickets through the app to avoid long lines or sell outs at theater location. When searching a movie you are interested in seeing, the IMDb app also gives you a detailed list of reviews from both critics and users. When questioning a movie you want to see, it is highly beneficial to look at reviews from both viewer categories before spending the money. The IMDb app has a very large target market including anyone with a smartphone and anyone who enjoys movies. The IMDb app provides real-time value by giving users access to movie information regarding theaters, show times, maps, locations, reviews, summary, cast, crew, and biographies at any time of the day. The app has widespread appeal because it has such a large market base. There are very few people that do not enjoy movies or do not go to movies. This app is also all encompassing compared to other competing apps only offering show times and ticket purchasing capabilities. In being fully encompassing, the IMDb app successfully caters to its target audience, offering what competing apps do not. As friend-of-mine marketing’s popularity continues to increase, more large companies will continue to release apps. Of the many that have already been released, it seems like they are beginning to fall into competing categories. For example, many banks have released apps for easy mobile banking including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and SunTrust. Big names in coffee like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts have released self-help apps that easily let you find a location, order your drink, pay, and tip straight from your smartphone. Various locations can be recommended or deferred. Nike’s app and Map My Run apps both allow you to track your runs by distance and location. The apps also let you recommend running courses. The amount of friend-of-mine marketing apps is increasing and they are here to stay. I think that they soon will be implemented by all large companies not only to stay in competition but also meet with the demand for everything to be smart phone accessible.

Charmin’s Sit or Squat app is a very interesting app that I have never heard of before. I know there are numerous restaurant finder apps and movie theater apps that help find theaters and show times but never a restroom app. If I were a traveler in a new city or country I can imagine this being very helpful. Sometimes finding a restroom that does not require you to be a paying customer can be difficult. Charmin’s Sit or Squat targets the avid traveler or someone who is constantly out of their own home. There is a very small market for this but at the same time it is somewhat humorous which gains positive feedback for Charmin’s and helps create buzz when those who need to use restroom think about finding one.

A great frame-of-mind app that I have to been using is called Swell Report. This self-help app uses your location to tell you about the surf report of nearby beaches. Not only can you select 1000’s of beaches in the US but it give you wave reports, weather conditions and many other great features in live real time. On top of that you can forecast the selected beach for up to 10 days in advance. It fills the need of any beach go’er. I can sit at home 200 miles away from a great beach, check Swell Report to see vital conditions late at night and travel the next day and be in the exact conditions that were reported. It may have some trouble appealing widespread to those not near beaches but for the occasionally traveler it is very great. It saves tons of time and helps users prepare the for the right beach day for surfing or swimming. The main market is primarily surfers but any avid beach go’er will benefit from using this. Some major companies such as Ron Jon, Billabong and QuickSilver have started advertising off of it as a sponsor.

I believe one of the greatest “Friend-of-Mine” marketing mobile applications is the Amazon app. Amazon has been growing in popularity in recent years and has shown even more growth since developing Amazon Prime and short shipping days, even allowing customers to receive packages the same day or 1 day delivery.

The Amazon Mobile application allows customers to log in to the app from their mobile device (iPhone, iPad, or other tablets/smartphones) and start shopping right then and there. The application allows you to save your current account so you do not have to update your information every time you log in.

I believe one of the greatest and most helpful resources that the Amazon mobile app allows its users to utilize is the barcode recognition search engine. If you are out at a store in person all you have to do is hold an items barcode up to the screen and it will find it for you on Amazon. This allows customers to see if the price on Amazon is lower than the price you would receive in the store. This app is fulfilling a need that is so crucial in today’s electronic fast past world, and that is the “time” need. Everyone wants things to be quick and stress free. This application really provides a stress free fast shopping experience. On your homepage of the application there is a recommendation section, which makes it very easy to find things that could benefit you or that you need. There is also a “Today’s Deals” section which provides customers with the ability to see what is on sale or featured at a lower price for a limited time. You can even create your wedding, baby, or other event registry through the application.

One thing that I believe allows Amazon to stay so successful is that their market is actually everyone. It is not narrowly marketed and it is also not broad to the point you can’t find anything. Because Amazon does in fact carry everything from books, to house ware, to clothing, electronics, to even music, and much, much more it is a great place for people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds to use.

Some other applications that I feel address “Friend-of-Mine” marketing are the Publix application, Fandango Movie app, online banking apps from companies such as Bank of America, BB&T, or Chase Bank, and the application called The Habit Finder. I would be led to believe that the applications that provide the most real time value are ones that you need to utilize everyday and quickly like your online banking application or maybe even a shopping application like the Publix app. Online banking apps provide real time value because they allow you to check your statement from anywhere in the world, mobile banking applications also stay more updated and current then if you were to log into your account from a computer. The second you buy something if you log into your mobile application it will show that purchase on your statement, whereas the website from a computer will only show deducted money and not what was deducted and when. For an application to have widespread appeal it needs to be extremely useful to a broad set of people. The Publix app does that because everyone needs to eat and it allows you to order online from the bakery or deli which is great for a busy mother, a person in the workforce who has a meeting to get to, a personal assistant who has to order for the entire office, or someone throwing a party who needs 40 sandwiches tomorrow.

Many companies are starting to use friend of mine apps. This is a very helpful way of marketing their products and getting people to have information on the go with their mobile devices. An app that I use and I feel is very useful is the bodybuilding.com app. Bosybuilding.com is a website that acts a social bodybuilding community and is amongst the biggest supplement distributors in the nation. One of my biggest hobbies is working out and since I found out about bodybuilding I always purchase my supplements and track my progress on the website. They released their application and it made my life a lot easier. Before I had to login and do everything on my computer but with the app it helps track your progress on the go and as you workout. It also lets the user purchase all the supplements and track the shipment without the hassle of logging in the computer every time. Bodybuuilding.com and its app target a huge market of people who love to workout and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is a real friend of mine app since it allows people to check and modify their progress in real time. It also gives you recommendations on what workout are suitable you. With the right time dedicated to the app the user can cater the app to his/her benefit. With the right nutrition and workout tips, the user will get a lot more from working out and living healthy.

Another App I could not possibly live without is the Fandango movie application. It used to be a hassle to get the movie times when I was not at home, but Fandango has done an amazing job of getting all that real time information in one place for users on the go. Once the user has an account with fandango they can easily read reviews, see trailers, movie times, and also purchase their tickets within the app. It is a real friend of mine app because it helps the user know what movie times are available so they don’t just get to the movie theater without knowing or rushing from their homes. It also helps find the most nearby Movie Theater which helps because most people do not know theater in areas where they do not live in. This app has worked for young and old people who like to go see movies.

Wanelo app has been a personal friend-of-mine app. As a 21-year-old woman, one of my biggest hobbies is shopping and shopping the different popular brands. With Wanelo I have shopping and hundreds of different brands to my immediate access. Wanelo is an app that helps people find products that are filtered to your ” wants, needs, and loves.” Wanelo has another useful, and helpful aspects, which is the Wanelo search engine. With this app you are able to search products with descriptions, brands, or product name. When you know exactly what you are looking for you can put in the descriptions ex. (Lace dress) and many different brand and stores (from amazons to Louis Vuitton) that sell laces dresses show up for your viewing. Each product includes the price and where to purchase it. I feel this app is very helpful to any consumer who likes online shopping, and are looking for specific details on a certain product. Sometime we have the exact product we want in mind by the color, and brand, but going to the mall and searching can be a pain. Having this app register all the descriptions to a point and finding the product in many different stores can give you variation and gives you options. This app also comes with a profile where you can like and save your favorite products for future purchases. Just like Facebook and Instagram, Wanelo users can follow personal profiles and/or store profiles that share your same interests, putting them in your news-feeds every time the save or add a product.

Likewise, the American Red Cross mobile app is another great example of a friend-of-mine app. This app provides information on what to do before, during, and after disasters and emergencies whenever, wherever. As a diagnosed epileptic, I have made many people panic, and unfortunately many people had no idea what had to be done during, and after I had a seizure. I am sure that if they new about the American Red Cross mobile app, they would of helped me and could of prevented me from biting my tongue or injuring myself in any other way. The remarkable thing about the American Red Cross mobile app is that it is not only an app with information about that certain emergency, but it gives people step-by-step instructions and an immediate 9-1-1-call button. Also, the American Red Cross mobile app includes safety tips for everything from winter weather to hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes and helps you to prepare for emergencies. Living in South Florida we get many hurricanes, having this app with this type of content is extremely helpful. You have an app with instant access to all safety information at anytime without reception or an Internet connection.

I really enjoyed the idea of the Charmin’s Sit or Squat App. I had never heard of this application before and I found it very original and funny. People can download the app or access the website in order to search for a clean public restroom all over the country. You can rate the restrooms you go to by hitting “sit” when the bathroom is clean or “squat” when you thing the bathroom could be better or cleaner. You can even add other restrooms that are not shown on the map. Charmin is a well-known company that creates bath tissue, paper napkins, and other paper products. Customers who have the Charmin’s Sit or Squat application are more likely to buy Charmin products when shopping since they are more familiar and “friendly” with the brand.

I am going to choose the Life Fitness application. Life Fitness is an American fitness equipment company. They specialize in the production and distribution of their equipment (i.e. stationary bikes and treadmills). They have an application where you can connect your iPhone to their equipment and hear your music on the treadmill. You can log an indoor workout and/or outdoor workout on the Application. I use this when I go running, I select the outdoor workout option and just click start. It tracks your route using my device’s GPS, it also tracks your pace, time, and distance. I always use this application when I work out since my gym’s equipment is all Life Fitness.
People who like to charge their phones while running on the treadmill are more willing to have this application. Others who like running outdoors usually have it too since it is free and very useful if you want to track your running workout.
This application targets those people who like to exercise, those who are in shape, people who like to keep a record of their workouts, and those who need a little help with getting fit or staying in shape.

Very interesting blog which made me take a second look at some of my apps. One that popped out at me is my Betty Crocker Weeknight Dinner Recipe app. It doesn’t scream “marketing ploy” to me because they only offer a limited number of “free” recipes and the recipes are not filled with Betty Crocker ingredients. The recipes are filled with everyday ingredients that I already have at home.

Of course, after reading this blog, it is clear that Betty Crocker is not looking to make a fortune on the “paid” recipes through this app – they are gaining market share in my mind. Very slick…

An app that qualifies as a “Friend of Mine” app is the Michelin Guide app. This app allows users to find restaurants in their area and find restaurants of all types of prices. Michelin is a tire manufacturer. Michelin is befriending the users by helping them find restaurants that they can afford in their area. By doing this, users of the app have a good chance at choosing Michelin when purchasing tires for their vehicles.

Another mobile app that comes to mind that uses the ‘friend-of-mine’ strategy is the Nike self help apps, including Nike training and Nike Run. Nike training customizes work outs for its consumers, and Nike run tracks your runs with time, distance, and speed. It will also tell you how many calories you burned during your run. The Nike apps are free, but for optimal results require you to sync your Nike products to the apps. Another self help app that comes to mind is ‘My Fitness Pal’. My Fitness Pal is an app that helps you count your calories and projects weight loss or weight gain based on eating styles for the day. All three of these apps utilize the ‘friend-of-mine’ strategy so that when you consider anything to do with fitness, or healthy lifestyles, you immediately think of them.

This revolutionary method of marketing brands is just another way in which companies have discovered in which they can hammer down their product image into our brain. We use our mobile devices constantly and their corresponding apps in a daily basis so we can be exposed to said brands and products every day and hour. These apps are not necessarily bad to us because some of them do provide proper aid whenever we may need it. For example, the app “Flixster” functions along side Rotten Tomatoes and helps consumers stream movies, find local movie theaters, check movie times, users may rate movies and even order tickets. This app can do it all in terms of the film industry while also providing entertainment for the customer it forces the customer to relate good movie quality service and feedback from Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes.

“Friend of Mine” Marketing – Being a golf nut, the Nike Golf 360 App is a friend of mine in all aspects. It allows me to connect to professional golfers all around the world and receive tips on various topics. It also provides data entry, so that you are able to plug in various information from your game, and it will provide you with statistics and ways to improve your game.

I think friend of mine apps are the next stage in marketing towards a product or service. Some may criticize these apps but they do provide service to millions of people around the world. Certain apps such as shopkik help show people good deals on clothes for over hundreds of brand names. You also have gasbuddy which shows gas prices within a certain radius of where you live. Now I must say that some of these apps may not provide what you need, but with the new wave of technology eventually these apps will be used more often than now.

At first, I thought friend-of-mine Apps were just another tablet or smartphone fad that provided us with useless content and took up much needed space. I actually turned my opinion around after watching my son on my iPad. He asked me to download him the Hyundai’s free Walking Dead Zombie proof your car app. It doesn’t allow you to race or kill zombies. It does allow you to select through different models and classes of Hyundai vehicles (conveniently for sale at your local Hyundai dealer) and apply cool looking armor and weaponry perfect for warding off a zombie apocalypse. The app allows you to relate to their very ordinary vehicles and use your imagination to make them extraordinary.

Fisher-Price has been a personal friend-of-mine app for me. With small children, they have tons of free apps that provide developmental and cognitive play for babies and toddlers alike. Much like the toys they manufacture, they have found a way to keep parents connected with their brand and provide extended services by entertaining children via technology using the same characters displayed and utilized on the toys they manufacture. So whether at home or on-the-go your child can still enjoy the same familiar characters all the while engaging in a different type of sensory playtime.

Additionally, the AT&T U-Verse app is another great example of a friend-of-mine app. The app allows Uverse subscribers to watch a select number of live channels and shows. Subscribers can also access recorded shows and watch other programs available via the app. It’s a great friend-of-mine app because it provides an extended benefit to being a subscriber to their cable service. It’s a great way to build consumer loyalty as well because who doesn’t like being able to watch their favorite show at the click of a finger. Unlike Netflix, Uverse subscribers can watch a select number of channels live. This a great marketing tool to keep customers and acquire new ones. This is one of the reasons why I am still a Uverse customer today.

The development of friend of mine apps is an excellent way not only to benefit from exposing your business to them, but to show them that you are intetrested in helping them in a way that doesn’t require money all of the time. When a user sees that they can download an app that can help them do some things on their own that they would normally pay for, it attracts them more to the source, allowing them to actually want to use them more. A great example of this friend of mine marketing is the Publix app that allows you to order your sub or meal before coming to the store and therefore allowing you more time and convenience in not waiting too long in the line. This shows that publix is concerned with the consumer’s time and in return this may give consumers more time to shop for other things, allowing Publix to benefit also. Another friend of mine app is my bank’s app. It allows me to log on and see my balance, while giving me courtesy notices for when my balance is low allowing me not to withdraw. When a bank has features that aims at not making you spend more money, it makes the consumer feel like the bank is not just out to take their money, but to help them.

A few Friend -of-Mine apps that I enjoy using on my iPhone are Open Table, Out To Eat and Nike Training Club. Open Table helps you find restaurants and schedules your reservation. You earn 100 points for each reservation and are redeem once you reach 2,000, 5,000 or 10,000 points. The app keeps a record of your reservations and arranges them according to most visited and your favs. Out To Eat also provides you with menus, pricing, hours, direction and restaurant reviews. I’m a foody so this app really helps me out.

Out To Eat with Kids is another awesome Friend-Of-Mine app I love to use. This app locates family friendly restaurants offering daily deals for dining out with your kids. ‘s IHop, Moes, Golden Corral, Pizza Fusion and Texas de Brazil are just a few restaurants you can find with daily specials posted on Out to Eat. This app is every parents dream! Out to Eat with Kids helps families plan ahead for dinning out.

And last but not least, Nike Training Club is the best Friend of Mine app I use daily. NTC is my personal trainer I can take with me anywhere, anytime. I can find over 100 full-body workouts that help me take my training to the next level. This app is developed by Nike professionals trainers and they guide you through each step of your training process. Rather users want to lose inches, create muscle definition or just develop full body power, there is a 4 week program designed just for your goal.

Open Table, Out to Eat and Nike Training Club are all apps able to provide me with instant info to help me with my daily routines. I would definitely classify them all as Friend of Mine Marketing .

There are a lot of “friend of mine” marketing applications available but the main one that I use on a daily basis is Xfinity (Comcast). I am not sure if there are other cable companies that offer this service but it has never failed me so I refuse to detach myself from my cable provider. The reason why I love this application is because of my two year old nephew. If I am babysitting and have to be running around doing errands, this application allows me to either put Disney Jr (live programing) or play an old episode of Jake and the Neverland pirates. Xfinity allows me to download certain movies and show which is perfect because sometimes the reception in different building is horrible. The application offers more things but for this reason alone I have not left Comcast.
Another “friend of mine” application that I use often is Best Buy. I know that there are other companies that do this now but I have never been let down by them so I continue to purchase all my things from them. I am able to search for products, read customer reviews, order and pay. The best part is that I can just go to the store and pick it up. I must admit there are sometimes that I want the product but want to go see it and see it in person to see if it fits my expectations. The Best Buy application allows me to see which best buy location near me has the item I am looking for. This makes my life easier because I can go and it is almost a guarantee that it will be there when I go to that particular store.
In conclusion, there are other stores like Macys, Target and Walmart that have caught on that their consumers want to be able to take charge and be able to go to a store for a specific item and be out in 10 minutes. I am glad these big companies have been noticing that if they continue to make our lives easier we will continue to be loyal customers.

I was reading about Friend-of-Mine Marketing and I came across an interesting app developed by the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Center called the ‘Car Seat Helper App’. This app was designed to help parents choose the right car seat for their child, taking into account different factors, such as age, weight, height, special needs, the latest pediatric recommendations, and even state laws. The app is based on the guidelines published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and is not only a great resource for parents but also for healthcare professionals and caregivers. The Car Seat Helper app is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
This is the type of app that serves as a great exemplary use of Friend-of-Mine Marketing. It is a very helpful way for clients to efficiently choose the product they are looking for and the app is very user-friendly. This is what people are looking for nowadays; an application which will help them decide which product to buy in an easy, fast, and smooth manner, based on the important factors that are related with making that decision. In addition to providing an efficient tool offering great help, this app is a great way for the company (the hospital in this case) to advertise their product in a less invasive way.

A great “friend-of-mine” app is C25K (Couch to 5k). Everyone seems to want to get fit! I discovered this app while browsing for an app to help me loose a little weight. I was intrigued because it spoke directly to me. Although I’m not an actual couch potato I knew I wanted to train to run my first 5k. This app will train you in just 9 weeks. I also know that running is a great way to shed some extra pounds. The app is simple and has a great UI. I could also listen to my own playlist without downloading it to the app. Another cool feature was that it integrated My Fitness Pal seamlessly at the end of my training. I get inspirational sayings, great tips to keep me from injuring myself, and alternative exercises to try also. The ease of use is great and I’ve seen several ads for the Greek yogurt that I buy frequently.

Another app that is great is Scoutmob. I travel a lot…it’s usually with foodies. They are always searching for new places to check out for a good meal and a great atmosphere. Scoutmob offers free mobile deals only available in: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC. Those are great cities to visit. These deals give you the opportunity to explore the city, meet new people, and experience the tastes of the city. If you’re adventurous…you might just like this app! The essential neighborhood pocket guide! This app gives companies an avenue to entice new customers to try their fare, or attend a local event…the intent is to create repeat customers that tell their friends to tell their friends!

Apps are a great way to engage your target audience. Let’s face it our mobile devices are like our friends anyway…we can’t leave home without them. It would behoove any company…small or large to invest in the creation of an app. The ability to leverage relationships with your target market makes the “friend-of-mine” strategy an essential addition to any marketing plan!

Friend of mine marketing represents a perfect illustration of how companies will now build brand loyalty by committee through marketing. An example I can think of similar to the Geek Squad will be the website Traveladvisor.com. They offer the same things other travel sites give you but where they separate themselves from the pack is when they’ll give you real customer photos and prices of all the travel sites offering the same product.
I was recently on Traveladvisor.com to look for a hotel and I became a fan favorite of their website when I saw their list of hotels based on availability and the price comparison. Priceline and Hotwire have similar marketing ploys but where Traveladvisor hit it out of the park is when they allow their customers a chance to post real pictures of how the hotels and its accommodations really look. That up front honesty is what I value in a friend and in a company as well, thus making Friend of Mine marketing a tactic I view as a way to build interest through genuine marketing content of what the consumer really wants to see versus what companies want to show them.
I think when a company uses the Friend of Mine marketing in their app’s their not marketing their products, their marketing the trustworthiness of the product. At that point, Friend of Mine marketing is used as the “clincher or wildcard” between companies with similar products trying to separate themselves from the pack. The product itself won’t be able to do that so maybe the convenience, stability and benevolence of whose offering the product will incline the consumer to go with them.

I’m in the retail/ footwear/ apparel industry, so Friend –of –mine marketing is something I see often. I have followed Sophia Amoruso’s career and the growth of nastygal.com. Within the product pages of the site, there is an option to gain $10 towards a purchase if your friend shops on the site, too. It is powered by an app called Friend Buy. They power referral marketing campaigns for large brands, and are pretty effective at not making the consumer feel like a footsoldier. On Karmaloop.com, a streetwear apparel ecommerce site, they have actively been using “Karmaloop codes” where a user can receive discounts by getting their friends or acquaintances to use their special user code linked to their account. But, with the development of mobile apps, that system could get a little antiquated. Within self help-apps, I can recall being prompted to sign in via facebook , where my information could help gauge who my friends are, and what I spend my time doing. Getting users to share their activities within an app could enhance its credibility, and give feedback on improvements to the user experience.
Also, some brands have been known for their sterility, and what seems to be a lack of personality. When Spanish fashion brand Zara launched their own app, the app seemed to offer a feeling of inclusiveness and it helps that there is no outside noise and competition within the app. The Nasty Gal brand offers a similar experience; and with push notifications, it’s like getting a personal text message straight from the brand. It’s an amazing tool that doesn’t have to fight for attention with online ads and banners.

I discovered a lot of cool apps that qualifies as friend-of-mine marketing on Comcast website like Xfinity TV remote app, connect app, family sense app, home security app, and Constant guard mobile app. The one app that caught my eyes was the Xfinity TV remote app on mobile Apple and Android devices. This app allows people to browse and watch programs on the go or turn their mobile device into a remote. You can watch any program in TV listings or Xfinity on Demand in the app and most of the programs and movies are free. If you select an Xfinity on Demand that isn’t included in your subscription a message on the app will notify you. You can use the app to change the channel only when you are watching a program during its actual airtime. They also have a new feature called Play Now that allows all premium channels like: HBO, Cinemax, Encore, and Starz just to name a few to be view on any Apple or Android devices. But if you are recording a program, watching Xfinity on Demand or navigating with the Comcast remote the app will not work. And with the Connect app you can check your Xfinity email, text with your home phone number, listen to your home voicemail and pay your bills. The family sense app helps you guide your kids on how to protect their privacy, reputation, and safety when using personal computers or mobile devices. The home security app allows one to stay connected to your home and family. As well as receive text and email alerts or you can access your system remotely. And the constant guard mobile app manages your passwords and credit cards for a safer online banking, shopping, emailing, and social networking. After discovering these apps I had to add them to my IPad and IPhone. They work great and perfect for one who is always on the go.

Well a few “friend- of-mine” apps that fall under the “friend-of-mine” umbrella are of course apps made by shipping companies. UPS mobile and FedEx mobile offer package tracking, creation of shipping labels. They let you find UPS or FedEx service locations via GPS, and estimate shipment costs and delivery times. Apps like CNNmoney provided users with fast access to all their updates on business and financial news, marketing, etc. There are payment plus apps like Square and Paypal which offers ways to send, withdraw, and manage your money from the comfort of your home without the waste of paper on checks and receipts.
For travel you have Southwest Airlines app which lets you make reservations, check in for flights, and if you have a rapid rewards account, view your reward status. Speaking of travel, the cheap gas app is good in a pinch. If you aren’t looking to spend the extra dollar or need to fill up when you are tight on funds, this app locates and compares gas stations in the area to find you the cheapest one. Not only that, but once it has found the location, it routes the location for you.
Some of the best “friend-of-mine” apps in my opinion are those dedicated to management of cloud storage. Access to the cloud from any device is a blessing in disguise; especially with Google Drive. The HUD is similar to the desktop navigation and accessing files is easy. You can download, send, and edit all from the application. You can monitor your space, and even upload to the drive from your own phone library. Dropbox, Box.net, Sugar sync, are among the others that offer similar mobile cloud storage with varying degrees of connectivity. It was just a matter of finding one with an interface that works to your comfort level with cloud computing.

With over a million apps for iPhone and Android mentioned in this article, this is only the tip of the ice berg. Many companies are now trying to make the from friend- of-mind marketing to friend-of-mine marketing keeping their products at the fingertips of their customer. Most of the world is now taking advantage of the fast and convenient avenues to access information at the drop of a hat. A great example of friend-of-mine marketing is the NEON app by Nissian. With this app, smart car users can manage multiple vehicles and see all the information in one spot. Tools included in this app are navigation, mileage calculators and alerts for servicing and oil changes. I find this app to be very helpful to the car enthusiast and those who want to make sure that they are on top of all things car. The TGIFriday’s app is another great app to use for friend-of-mine marketing. This particular app is great for customers that frequent TGIFriday’s and are a part of the rewards program. Here the customer can keep track of all their rewards points and even redeem them for food from the actual app. The customer cannot actually purchase items from the app but they will be able to see the new items on the menu as well make reservations and create their own drinks. The FoodNetwork app is another app that is a great example of friend-of-mine marketing. In this app customers can log on to access great recipes at their fingertips. Customers can also comment on different recipes they liked or didn’t really understand. There are also videos that show step by step directions of how to make the particular recipe and how it should look when it’s done. These apps are apps that I find particularly helpful on my day to day experiences and will recommend them to anyone.

To date, one of the biggest apps invented for “Friend-of-Mine” Marketing would be the App Store App, by Apple. This app introduces more than 1 Million apps, and counting, for all types of customers. The App Store app allows a customer to unlock all their needs right at the tip of their fingers. With Apple’s App Store innovation, they are capable of changing how people engage with instant access to what they need without the traditional spamming, commercial advertisement, and mail ins to get the customer to the point-of-sale. Apple made the process simple for developers in all categories and sizes to place their product or services within the App Store to use for fun, promotion, service, and etc.

In addition to the App Store being welcoming to third party apps, I have had great interest in both 1SaleADay and Saviry. Both of these apps refresh every 24 hours with new items for sale at discounted prices. The benefits of these two apps make it simple for the customer to find great deals on select items they may need or as great gifts for someone else. What these two services offer is a simple one-stop shop to great gift buying.

Further more, Apple has done it again with iAds. iAds is an advertisement within the app the customer downloads, mostly free apps that can promote a business. However, what’s different about it is that the customer can actually engage with the iAd. For example, when you download a free app and you see Toyota or Nissan iAd banner across the bottom or top and you click on it, the customer gets directed to an interactive car garage which allows the person to customize the car being promoted and actually test drive it. I found that very clever, yet at the end of it they ask for your information if you are interested with the car and so on from there. If you decide to not continue with the iAd then the app proceeds to download.

In conclusion, I find these apps very well qualified with “Friend-of-Mine” Marketing. They demonstrate great use of service to both the customer and the business with a simple way of engaging with the audience and letting them decide what they may need to make their lives fun and exciting without the traditional outbound marketing.

A cool Friend-of-Mine App that I discovered was for Tires Plus. The Tires Plus App provides consumers the ability to store all recent mechanical/tire history for their cars in the App as well as schedule appointments, get reminders on check-ups and maintenance. But, as they say on TV, “that’s not all!” The App also provides consumers the ability to search for cheap gas stations, track mileage and create parking reminders. Tires Plus really is trying to provide the consumer “Total Car Care” as a one-stop shop to track and monitor your car’s maintenance as well as provide the consumer with helpful tools when he/she is out and about. Of particular interest to me is the Apps “Roadside Aid” that provides helpful information on what to do when you are stuck on the side of the road. Also, with the Roadside Aid, they are promoting that they can provide wrecker or towing service to any store, change a flat tire, jump-start the vehicle, etc. Who knew a tire store’s app could be so useful to every single person who owns or drives a vehicle. What is also great about this App is the potential for Tires Plus to become one of those “big data” collectors of car information for everyone who uses the app. All in all, I think it is an excellent example of the Friend-of-Mine marketing trend!
Christina Kitterman @CMKLaw

The article indicated there are over 1 million apps for the i-phone, and we have only scratched the surface when it comes to apps. So it’s no wonder companies are racing for pole position when it comes to Friend-of-Mine marketing. With over 75% of the world’s population having access to cell phones it makes sense that corporations, down the smallest mom and pop shop are looking for creative apps that are Friend-of-Mine capable to lure fleeting customers to their business. There has been chatter from news and media outlets that corporate websites are dying in droves; Top-of-Mind marketing is meeting the same fate as the dinosaurs. What’s new are needed apps to make our lives more manageable that are not as intrusive as outbound marketing and less expensive to develop than TV and radio commercials. GasBuddy, Hulu and I Wanna See that are three apps that I feel can qualify for exemplary use of Friend-of-Mine marketing. GasBuddy will show you the lowest gas prices in the surround area you select. It provides the name and address of the gas station and their prices on the various types of grade and gas. Just as a friend would call you let you know a super deal they located in the neighborhood well with GasBuddy you have a friend searching every gas station in every neighborhood in the country. The app and service are free. Hulu is another free app that defiantly qualifies for Friend-of Mine marketing. For example, Hulu allows the customer to ditch their cable company. Customers can 86 Comcast, AT&T and Xfinity. For less than $10 per month, customers can watch top TV shows from their hand held devices or TVs.
I Wanna See That is an easy way to remind customers of movies they would like to see when it arrives at theaters, and it links to the customers calendar. The above mentioned apps are the wave of the future of Friend-of-Mine marketing.

Friend-of-Mine marketing apps are a new innovative way for companies to get their customers more involved and to better help assist them. More companies are finding out that by using this marketing technique is not only cost effective, but also more helpful to customers. It gives customers a more personal experience. These friend-of-mine marketing apps are gaining popularity amongst consumers since everything is becoming more convenient and easier to use. A good example of a Friend-of-Mine app is the UPS app. UPS mobile allows customers to track their shipments, create shipping labels, find UPS service locations via GPS, and estimate shipment costs and delivery times. This app is especially useful for those who are always on the go. This app allows customers to find everything they need when they have to ship or track a package, rather than call or visit the UPS store.

Johnson and Johnson official 7 minute workout is definitely a good app. Today most people are focused on health. They want to be able to live a healthier lifestyle and be fit. With this app, customers are able to complete 7-minute routines whether they are going to the gym or at home. The app allows customers to personalize their workouts and share their progress with friends. Not only that, but it is not that much time consuming. People are constantly on the go or do not have time to work out. So by providing an app like this will help draw in customers and even help promote their other products associated with health.

AT&T U-Verse is an app that allows customers to watch shows and movies on the go. Whether they are using a mobile device or tablet, they can browse through the TV guide, they can control their receivers with the remote control feature, they can record shows, and watch live TV and video on demand. Once they have Wi-Fi or data connection, they are able to access these features. This is a good example of a friend-of-mine marketing app because it shows how AT&T caters to their customers and needs, especially for those who travels a lot and are on the go.

There are many APP’s out there that company’s make up to make customer life easier. I personally love them. Friend-of-mine Marketing is becoming more popular as the years go by. The great part is that these apps are free to all customers. The ADP app offers a lot of different options. For example companies that use ADP as their Payroll Company give their employees the option to control their account through an app. The app has a salary calculator to know how much an employee will be receiving every 2 weeks. Employees are able to obtain their W2 when it’s time for Tax season. The app also stores record of all the pay-stubs. Employees are able to punch in and out and create a time-sheet. Lastly, it calculates employees paid time off and many more different features.
Comcast app gives customers the opportunity to watch shows on their mobile devices as well as a TV guide of all the channels. Customers are able to record their shows even though they are not close to the cable box. Customer can control any DVR under their account. The app is customer friendly and customer are able to customize each DVR by putting name for each DVR to be able to distinguish which one is in what room.
Another friend-of-Mine app is the Michael craft store app. This App has many different things to do. Customers are able to obtain coupon to use in-store on their purchases. The project tab gives customers many project ideas for all occasions, home decor, baking and so many more. This app also offers short videos for arts and craft projects. If customers want to know if Michael sells a certain product, the app offers a bar-code scanner to be able to scan the bar-code of the product and know how much Michael is selling it for.

The café bookstore fad of the 90’s took a back seat with the access of online books and media much like the entertainment industry. Fast forward today with the rapid expansion of the android market due in part to Google play and Hoot suite, just to name a few, both creating a wealth of capabilities for mobile users, and increasing the number of self- help guides replacing top of the mind marketing. However, consumers are not only looking for restaurant reviews or top rated restrooms, but in particular a social media experience that will contribute to their lifestyle changes. Case in point, from a consumer perspective, there is a growing number of healthcare applications available for download. Three worth mentioning are the calorie counter, iTriage, a quit smoking application available in HD, and My Refill Rx. I mention this because these particular categories because of the growing number of health conscience consumers on the rise. These apps encourage loyal customers and with the right content businesses can benefit from this niche market. My Fitness pal features a calorie-counting database and goal setting mechanism. Users are able to track food they eat, and exercise habits, essentially creating a tangible goal towards weight loss. The quit smoking app featured in HD, and iOS frames provide personal hypnotherapy sessions. The My Refill Rx allows consumers to use the app to order medicine from their phone and have them delivered. The app also features a built-in reminder function. Last but not least, gone are the days where our misconceptions about weather that red dot on our face was undoubtedly due to chicken pox or the sore throat could be best cured by mixing a few bottles of whatever we found in the kitchen. A number of self-help applications such as, iTriage , another useful app that provides information on thousand s of medical symptoms, diseases, conditions, procedures, and medications. The good news for consumers is that all of these apps fore mentioned are free and can put businesses and on the road map towards relationship building.

Friend of mine marketing has continued to evolve as companies continue to move up with ways to get their brand in front of consumers. From multi-million dollar Super Bowl ads to your product being the talk at the office cooler, there are many ways that companies have gotten their name or brand to consumers. While a multi-million dollar, 30 second spot gets your brand in front of a large captive audience, are they really in a frame of mind to purchase BBQ sauce or a new VW.
Friend of mine marketing has become a more cost effective and (possibly) less intrusive way to market your brand. “Possibly” less intrusive but is it really? Heinz has been running advertising campaigns for decades but have they ever attached themselves to your phone in your pocket in a way that their BBQ app does? Previously it would be a commercial online watching a four year old smear their products all over a hot dog and smile as he eats it (as if the brand of ketchup makes a difference to him). You could watch, you could fast forward, you could ignore it and read a magazine while it was playing.
Now, they have invited their recipes, weather report, and even a grill timer into your phone or tablet. Why would Heinz bother to give you a weather forecast? What are you normally doing when you use their products? Possible a BBQ with friends and family at a park? Nice to know what the weather will be like today at the beach. Who uses their products and doesn’t use a grill? Not many, so they include a grill timer, something that few of us actually purchase as an accessory to your $800 Weber. We merely cut into it and hope for the best. If we guess wrong, we throw it back on. Yet now, with the Heinz name plastered across the top of the screen and the occasion add for their newest flavor of BBQ sauce, you can monitor how long those burgers have been on the grill.
So while you can fast forward through the multi-million dollar ad that you may or may not remember (other than the fact that it was funny but you can’t remember if it was for Heinz Ketchup or for Bounty Paper Towels), your grill timer and weather forecast keep Heinz right in front of you during those times when you will actually be making a decision to buy or not buy their type of product. Still less intrusive?
.

Friend-of-Mine apps are wonderful. I especially love it when I find one of these apps while searching for a solution that is made by a company or organization I already advocate. It makes using the app that much more gratifying and it definitely gets me to share the application and the company with my friends and family. My favorite friend-of-mine apps come from The American Red Cross. Two of which are “First Aid by American Red Cross” and “Hurricane by American Red Cross.”

The First Aid app, allows you to access expert knowledge and advice concerning everyday emergencies. It gives step-by-step instructions to take control of the situation, and even has a call feature that allows you to contact 9-1-1 Emergency Services from within the app, at anytime.

The second app, concerning hurricanes is especially useful here in Florida. This app monitors the weather conditions in your area, gives you instructions and tips for preparing your home for a storm, and even has a “I’m safe” alert that will post to Facebook, and Twitter as well as send out emails and texts to your family and friends.

With such useful and valuable information being available in an easy to use format located at your fingertips, there’s no question about which disaster relief organization to donate your time and money to. In the event of a disaster, I’m sure I’ll call the American Red Cross.

Friend-of-mine marketing has become very common and a lot of the top companies are finding a lot of success with helpful apps that are free for users. Besides being a low cost marketing plan these apps build a strong and trustworthy brand in the eyes or potential customers. Huggies put out a “Pull-Ups Big Kid” app that parents use to make potty training a little easier for all. This application uses different Disney characters and games that are unlocked for the child when he/she successful uses the bathroom. The child gets stars each time he/she finishes and they seem to enjoy that part of the app. The app is also very helpful for the parent, especially those going through the process for the first time or those with busy schedules. There are many tips and articles for the parents and reminders to help them be aware of when it is time for their children.
So this app is fun for the children and informative for the parents. Huggies puts this app out so that its brand will have a positive image in the minds of the users. Even those who aren’t loyal to a particular brand may find themselves buying Huggies after building a relationship with the brand. The app is also very easy and straightforward to use which makes it user-friendly and a quick learn for a new user. Word of mouth marketing is very important in this industry because parents, especially moms, talk about topics like this quite frequently. When parents are reaping the benefits of this app and seeing their children enjoy its added fun they are likely going to spread the word. Huggies has done a great job putting out a unique app and is surely seeing it’s positive impact on its brand image and sales.

The Corona company has one such app, known as “Corona Beach Break” which assists users in finding the most ideal spots on beaches closest to them, associating the Corona brand with fun; in doing so, the company works to associate their brand of beer with a fun experience. Special K has an app that they have created allowing the user to create a weight management program custom tailored to their own specifications, associating the concept of weight loss with the Special K brand name. Nike’s “Nike+ Running App” is another example of Friend-of-Mine marketing, wherein runners are able to track their progress including distance ran, speed at which the user is running, heart rate, and so on, in order to better tailor their workouts, associating the Nike brand with fitness and running. Finally, the American Red Cross has an app that sends “critical information” on what needs to be done before, after, and during an emergency or disaster, associating their name with disaster and emergency relief and thereby making individuals more likely to donate to the organization that assisted them in their time of need.
Each of these apps works to attempt to befriend their users in their own way, associating the product’s brand name with their targeted product, enhancing the likelihood of the individual purchasing the product or service at a later date, thanks to the usefulness of the company.

ManKind is a local Fort Lauderdale, FL barbershop has redefined the barber shop experience, by offering services beyond a typical haircut. ManKind establishment offers beer, pool, shoeshine’s, TV’s, hot shaves massages and grooming services. There mission statement – “Where the tradition of services yesterday meet the products and services of today, in an atmosphere you will come to expect tomorrow. In keeping to their mission you’ll feel like you’re in a barbershop with a mix of yesterday and today. Mankind has now integrated technology into their marketing strategy by creating a Friend-of-Mine app. The ManKind app is very extensive and allows the user to learn more information about the their business. Specifically you are able to:

*View pictures in their gallery
*View their drink menu
*View their cigar menu
*View upcoming events
*Submit a photo
*View discounts through the app (Example – Special of the week: 25% off Aveda Green Science Replenishing Toner)
*ManKind tip of the day (Example – It’s important that we embrace criticism and turn advice into something beneficial, Improvement is the path to success).
*Check-in (Through their app you get discounts for being a loyal customer

Through this application ManKind has extended their reach to the customer through by keep the user engaged. I personally use this app occasionally and look forward to the updates. I believe ManKind has done a good job with marketing. I have recommended friends to go to Mankind an also download the application. ManKind’s marketing efforts have worked even for a local small business with only one location.

Friend-of-Mine apps are a new way to keep in touch with the customers and an easy technique to provide a better experience to them. Friend-of-Mine apps help to leverage the brand equity and image, because they can build a closer relationship with the consumer in an extremely positive method. Developing an app is quite simple and has a reasonable price, however it reaches the consumer in a unique manner. Friend-of-Mine apps allow the customers to access information easily and quickly. A good example of a cool Friend-of-Mine app is the My Disney Experience app. The Disney resorts are always trying to deliver superior customer value and trying to offer a remarkable experience to their consumers, so that every moment spent at the theme parks and on vacation can be special, every detail counts and this app is a good example of that. The app enables the user to check the attractions waiting lines, things to do, buy tickets, make dinning reservations, check what is happening at the moment, what is going to happen later, has a map of all Disney Theme parks, operation hours, special events and tours, even shopping tips and where you can find each character (time and location) all in one place and user friendly. With the help of the app, user is able to plan the stay better and get more out of it, all information is gather at one single place and available 24/7.

There are many companies that are making use of the “Friend-of-Mine marketing” in their day to day activities. Corona is one of those companies that are making use of the “Friend-of-Mine marketing” technique. The Mexican beer corona has been making a lot of new advertising to promote their new app that goes by the name of “Corona beach break”. The app is a good tool because it gives the users a map of the location with all the beaches that are nearby them. This is an application that is meant for fun. It will quite easily not only allow you to find that perfect beach point but it will also make your social life much more enjoyable. The app runs on both IPad and iPhone devices. This application is also supported by most of the devices that are running on android operating system. In addition to that, you can use the app for the purpose of sharing photos and images that you have taken on the beach with your friends. This app is one of the best examples of how corona assists its users while at the same time take an approach of creating “Friend-of-mine” which in the future may facilitate their relationship with customers as far as brand promotion is concerned. This is a perfect way of attracting customers and at the same time making more profit and creating a sense of brand royalty.

There are a lot of great examples here. I kept looking at my phone to see which one would be a good example as well and I believe I found another app that fits in the category of Friend – of – mine marketing, its called OpenTable. They are an american company that allows you to make real-time online reservations for restaurants near your location and they have an app for your phone. It is free for the user as well and no credit card is necessary to make the reservations or sign up. Among the things you can search for in this app are obviously the restaurants, but also the average prices, location, times available for reservations, their menu, etc. Also you can search by city, lets say you are traveling in a couple of days and you need to find a place to have a nice dinner? You can search the city you will be at and find a place to eat with ease.
The user can rate the restaurants and also sing in from facebook. This is where the company benefits from, having you spread the word about them by using this helpful app and sharing with your friends how you find a great restaurant or where not to go eat.

Special K has an app that allows you to customize a weight management plan to meet the goals most important for you. The app allows you to access daily menus and detailed shopping lists, update and input your progress and provides tips and motivation to keep you on track. This app qualifies as Friend-of-Mine marketing because it identifies itself as a source to help you lose weight and motivate you to do so! Although you are not forced to use Special K products to meet your weight loss goals, it encourages you to do so and puts the idea in your mind that Special K will help you meet your weight loss goals.

Another great “Friend of Mine” app is the Nike+ running app. The app allows you to track your distance, pace, time and calories burned with GPS, and even gives you audio feedback as you run. This app qualifies as a “Friend of Mine” app because it isn’t trying to get you to buy Nike products but positions themselves as a source for sports knowledge and motivation.

Additionally, Pampers has a Hello Baby Pregnancy Calendar. Not only does it allow you to track your pregnancy but also creates life-sized imagery to see the details of the growth of the baby while in the womb. It allows you learn about each stage of development and anticipate the joy your baby’s arrival. This app will qualify as a Friend of Mine app because it gets you to like Pampers before you even need Pampers. It is likely that once you have the baby, you will want to use Pampers on them! This particular app does a really good job building trust, since they are positioned in your mind and helping you through your pregnancy before you actually need their products.

Being a coffee lover I am a big user of Nestle’s expresso machines. They are called Nespresso. Although many of you you may not know the brand since it is fairly new in the U.S., it is among the worlds best coffee. Nespresso is the brand name of Nestlé Nespresso S.A., an operating unit of the Nestlé Group based in Chesterton, United Kingdom. Nespresso machines brew espresso from coffee capsules, a type of pre-apportioned single-use container of ground coffee and flavorings.

They recently just took out “My Nespresso App” for their customers. Nespresso capsules can only be purchased online or through Nespresso boutiques (currently only 7 in the USA as of this year). I find this to be a friend-of-mine-app since it helps out customer by saving them the visit to the boutiques or a computer for any Nespresso products.

In their app customers can now buy coffee capsules, machines, and any accessories that the boutique has for display. Not only that but, each and every single item has a description below it explaining it in depth. For example: at a Nespresso boutique the specialist describe to you what the coffee is composed of and its intensity. Since they are not present during the I-phone app, the description tells you anything they would in person. Customers can also see previous purchases so they can remember their past purchases. They can also set an automatic ordering feature so coffee gets to their homes/office every certain amount of days, weeks, or months. I believe by doing this they are making their current users happier and making new Nespresso users feel much more appreciated as customers and gain their trust right away.

Another app that can qualify as using Friend of Mine Marketing is the Michaels Craft Store App. This application allows customers to search for new and creative ideas for any event they are planning and shows the latest trends in the crafts world. The app allows people to plan out their projects and what materials are needed along with furnishing directions for each of those projects. The app goes further to even allow customers to scan items and locate those items at the nearest Michaels store. It really promotes the Michaels store and is an app that makes it so easy for customers to find what they need and create their ideas in one place. Along with giving tips and instructions to its customers, the Michaels app updates people regularly regarding specials going on in the store and even makes coupons available to the customers. By developing an app that makes it easy for people to design their craft projects, get instructions, and locate the materials in one stop the Michaels app is definitely an exemplary use of friend of mine marketing.
Another app that uses friend of mine marketing is Regions Bank. Just like most banks, Regions make an app available to its clients which allows customer’s access to their bank accounts any time any place from their phone. The regions app allows people to check their account, make a deposit to your account, transfer money between your accounts, get the latest offers and rewards, and many more. By making such a useful app for its customers, Regions makes it easy to bank with them. Having the opportunity to manage all your banking from your cell phone is such an amazing concept and definitely is a great source of friend of mine marketing. People still need to come in to the store to open an account and to make changes to their accounts but the Regions app is a helpful tool for customers making it easier to bank with Regions.

Nike+ Running App
The Nike+ Running App will definitely qualify as a “friend of mine app”. This application offers many benefits to its runner users, for example the app tracks your progress when running by saving information as distance, speed, heart rate, and other important data. Nike+ Running helps you to stay motivated by sharing your runs with friends on Facebook, it also allows you to take pictures during and after the run to remember special runs, and many more cool features. Nike did a great job and runners will definitely enjoy this free app and will find it very helpful. It has a four stars rating on the apple store and Nike hopes that users will remember the brand next time they shop for athletic clothing and footwear.

Nikon Learn Explore
It is true that each day more people use their smart phones to take pictures. However there is still an important group interested in photography as a hobby, especially users of DSLR cameras. This application shares information related to photography that can be used by beginners or experienced users, converting your smart phone in a photography manual. By offering this free information in the form of tips and techniques Nikon expects to keep users motivated and also more willing to buy additional equipment such as lenses, flashes, and other accessories. As a photography enthusiast myself I have downloaded the application and found it very helpful, where information is easy to search for and understand.

iFood Assistant by Kraft
With this application you get access to thousands of recipes for different occasions and styles, such as healthy foods, sandwiches, desserts, chicken, and more. The application would even allow you to enter ingredients that you have on hand, giving ideas of possible dishes that can be prepared with them. Another interesting feature is the shopping list that can be sort by aisle, recipe, or in alphabetical order. This list syncs automatically with Kraftfoods.com so it can be accessed at any time and from anywhere. By using this app Kraft Foods expects you to choose them over the competition at the supermarket aisle.

An app that qualifies as an example of Friend-of-Mine marketing is the apple store app. This app is really easy to use. The app allows customers to look at the different apple products including the prices. The app is meant for faster shopping on the go. You can browse the app, pick an apple product, pay for it and then simply pick it up in the store. This way you do not have to loose a lot of time. The app also allows you to easily and quickly upgrade your iPhone. The app also has a feature that securely saves your purchasing information so you can opt-in for express checkout when you place an order. There is another cool thing that I like about this app. When you are in an apple store you can use your phone and scan the products and just simply pay on your phone without waiting for someone to help. And we all know how busy the apple stores are. But this only applies to products without a serial number. The apple store app will also help you to find the nearest apple store.

The Domino’s Pizza USA app is another great example. It makes ordering pizza convenient, easy and fun. They also thought about all the Spanish people customers. If your phone is set up in Spanish, the app will automatically display in Spanish. The app gives you the ability to order pizza super easy and quick but also find the nearest Domino is you want to pick it up yourself. You can access all the items on their national menu and also find coupons available for your selected store. The app will even store your most recent order so if you want to order the same pizza you can simply press re-order. What also makes this app user friendly is that it will store your credit card information so you can order a pizza in less than one minute. After placing your order you can use the Domino’s tracker to follow your order from the “make line”, into the over, then out for delivery or ready for pickup.

An app that can qualify as an exemplary use Friend-of-Mine marketing would be the Publix app. It allows customers to log in from their smartphone devices and access a plethora of useful information to assist them in their grocery shopping experience. Customers can view weekly ads, digital coupons, special recipes, as well as featured products. There are even options to order items including subs online for store pickup and a QR scanner to get more information about a product. Publix is utilizing Friend-of-Mine marketing by building relationships with their customers through their mobile app by reinforcing their renowned slogan of “Publix: Where Shopping is a Pleasure.”

Another app utilizing Friend-of-Mine marketing belongs to Starbucks. With the ability to view different types of drinks available, nutritional information, and a store locator, this mobile application connects the company to the customer on a more personal level. It is even possible to load a Starbucks gift card that can be scanned directly from the app for convenience. Customers receive loyalty points and after accumulating a certain amount they receive rewards. Starbucks is continuing to build connections with its customers through this app while creating brand loyalty.

The Citmapper app is a very popular application used in cities including New York and London that makes navigation via bus, train, subway, biking, and walking simple and easy. It generates accurate directions including which train/bus line to take, where to transfer, and how long the intended trip will take. It even informs the user how long until the next bus or train arrives. In busy commuter cities with the majority of people relying on public transportation, Citymapper utilizes Friend-of-Mine marketing strategies to assist users in their daily commutes through reliable and precise information. Users can trust the app to get them where they need to go and thus build trust and loyalty to the brand.

Hello everyone,
After analyzing the types of apps that have come out in todays society, I believe that a cool app that can qualify as an exemplary use of Friend-of-Mine marketing is Home Depot. This app helps find the nearest location, find prices, shows online store maps to find certain appliance, searches item using barcodes scanner, and allows purchasing through app. I believe this app is very useful in helping customers find what they need conveniently without asking sale associates for help or need to call to ask for pricing. This app also helps customers with whatever home project they have in mind by having manuals and gadgets to help.

These “friend of mine” apps allow the companies to market themselves as being more caring for their potential consumers in my opinion. If a company seems more caring, helpful, and friendly, then consumers are more likely to keep trust and loyalty with those companies. These apps can give a company a more down to earth presence, rather than a more corporate one towards the consumers.

Another great app would be the Fandango movie app, which uses the “Friend-of-Mine” marketing approach. The app is simple and easy to use at any time. People are able to view movies that are currently playing, as well as the times for the movies at movie places nearby. Instead of rushing to the movies and missing the first few scenes, or waiting an hour, a person can look at the app for the proper times. The app provides ratings for movies as well, from critics and the audience. It even allows movie seekers to buy their tickets with the app!

The chipotle ordering apps satisfies the wants and needs of the customer by allowing them to place their order on the go. Or from any location they want, not just the restaurant. This app provides real time value by allowing the customer to cut down the time they have to wait in line. It lets them have their delicious chipotle right when they enter the restaurant. Their market is anyone that likes chipotle. Which is a very large portion of the population in my opinion. Anyone that wants to go there for lunch, or just to eat can cut down the hassle of having to wait in line by using the mobile ordering app.

Amazing article! I’m guilty of falling for the friend of mine app marketing. One of the first i think of is the bible app. Its free and of course its electronic so its easier for people who may not have a bible or even those who aren’t very religious but need a bible for whatever reason. What that free bible app does is send you daily scriptures and links to inspirational things that will make you want to read more (hopefully). Now they have drawn you in to maybe wanting to learn more about the bible or Christianity without being over bearing

I find the advertisement for the new iPad to be an example of “Friend-of-Mine marketing” because of the way they hid it behind small objects to point out how thin and small it is. Also most of the Nike sneaker ads are a great example as well.

I never really thought of these “friend-of-mine” apps to be helping the company as well. Your examples show how a customer would then want to buy Charmin because they have an app to help them find nicer restrooms based off of ratings. Another example of a “friend-of-mine” app would be the gas app I have on my phone. It allows me to find not only the nearest gas station, but the cheapest one as well.

Now consider, Katie, what the gas company would have to do to stand out in traditional advertising. There is a lot to be said for goodwill. Brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks and Timberland are seen as thoughtful corporate citizens. People like what they stand for and will ultimately lean their direction when purchasing an item they offer. Arguably Hilton Suggests gains a lot of favor from worn out travelers seeking a quick place to dine. Why does Hiltom offer this advice when the traveler has already booked a hotel elsewhere? Maybe because we see them as a benevolent service provider. Check out what WestJet did for its travelers waiting around a boring airport. Their YouTube video garnered 35 million views in a month. I know I look at WestJet in a different light after seeing how they helped others.http://bit.ly/1d4Txsn.

Wow! Almost brought tears to my eyes. I have never even heard of WestJet before and after watching that video I would definitely consider flying with them. They did not have to do all of that, but they did it not only out of pure kindness, but also reached out to their current customers and to potential ones that witnessed these acts as well. Pretty clever even if they did not realize what they were truly doing!

Victorias Secret’s mobile app is a great example of a company that is utilizing “friend-of-mine” marketing because the app provides easy and instant access to every event that occurs at the store and on their online website as well as allowing Angel credit card holders to pay their bills online via the app. For example, the app sends notifications about merchandise that is currently on sale and new merchandise that has been received. In addition, in regards to the online bill pay- the app also sends notifications as to when the payment due date is approaching.